A 30-year-old man has been jailed after an incident involving his former partner and a toddler, and an attack on a bed and breakfast proprietor in Tarbert.
In sentencing Marc William Strachan at the March sitting of Campbeltown Sheriff Court, Sheriff Euan Cameron said he was sending a message that behaviour of his kind would not be tolerated.
Strachan, now of Heatherstane Bank in Irvine, had previously pleaded guilty to two offences dating back to 2021.
The first, which happened in Kilwinning on September 19, saw him act in an aggressive manner, repeatedly shouting, swearing and uttering threats towards his former partner and throwing a brick through a window.
Procurator fiscal Anne Marie Hicks had told the court the accused had been in a relationship with the woman.
At 5.30am, she was lying sleeping in the living room of a property with a friend and a child under the age of five.
The fiscal added: “They were woken by the accused shouting and swearing outside the property calling her.
“A brick broke the window, shattering glass and this and the brick landed on the mattress where the child was sleeping.”
Ms Hicks said the woman was seeking a non-harassment order and this was granted by the sheriff for five years.
The second incident on October 26 happened at a bed and breakfast in Tarbert when Strachan repeatedly punched a man on the head and body; shouted, swore, uttered threats of violence, threw electrical items and a stone statue to the ground and uttered threats to burn down the property and made homophonic remarks.
Strachan was staying at the bed and breakfast, owned by the complainer and his partner, while he was working in the area.
The fiscal said: “He and workmates had been out drinking and returned making quite a lot of noise.
"The owner objected and an altercation ensued. Mr Strachan started throwing things about a corridor and assaulted the proprietor and started shouting abuse.”
Another scuffle occurred in the garden where he threw over a stone statue and threatened to burn the house down. He was locked out of the property and continued to swear and shout in the garden.
Sheriff Cameron previously called for reports on Strachan before he passed sentence.
He said: ‘Having heard the circumstances of this deeply unpleasant series of event and views that belong in the Dark Ages’...Custody is in the forefront of my mind.”
The reports were before the court for the March sitting when Strachan’s defence agent, Edel McGinty, said in mitigation: “This has been hanging over his head for a period of time.”
She added that not withstanding Strachan’s background, he was suitable for the Caledonian System, which is a behaviour programme for men convicted of domestic abuse, coupled with support services for their partners and children.
But Sheriff Cameron told Strachan: “Given your previous offending, there is no option but custody."
He sent Strachan to jail for a total of eight months.
Yes! I would like to be sent emails from West Coast Today
I understand that my personal information will not be shared with any third parties, and will only be used to provide me with useful targeted articles as indicated.
I'm also aware that I can un-subscribe at any point either from each email notification or on My Account screen.