Nasty neighbour Tommy Gourlay made life hell for a young couple in his street, writes Edwin Lawrence.
Ayr Sheriff Court heard the 56-year-old gave them dog’s abuse for parking outside his house.
Gourlay also smashed up the couple’s CCTV system and cut its cable.
The couple have moved from Girvan’s normally quiet Bourtreehall.
Depute fiscal Andrew Lazzarin told how the couple had parked outside Gourlay’s terraced cottage.
Mr Lazzarin said Gourlay raged at them to move, swearing and insulting them.
The victim’s partner was able to record some of the abuse on her phone.
When police charged Gourlay he said: “I accept that, but it was a complete bloody set-up.”
Mr Lazzarin also said the couple, looking at their CCTV, saw Gourlay loitering and looking at the camera.
He was holding some kind of tool and the CCTV images suddenly went blank.
Gourlay admitted causing fear or alarm to John Connelly and Lliana Tocher on numerous occasions between August 20 and November 30 by shouting, swearing and threatening violence.
The charge also included damaging the CCTV system.
Defence lawyer Robert Campbell said: “It was a neighbourhood dispute that got completely out of hand.
“He does think that the complainers were provocative.”
Mr Campbell said a fall-out between children had led to a vendetta.
“He behaved in a ridiculous way. He lost his temper.
“There was bad blood. He went round with an implement and battered the CCTV camera.
“He’s a middle-aged man who’s never been in trouble before.”
But the court heard that Gourlay is paying a fixed penalty fine for another occasion when he cut the CCTV cable.
And it was finally established that he had twice vandalised the equipment.
Mr Campbell pleaded: “He accepts that he was very stupid and that under no circumstances should he have done it.
“They have moved away so it’s not likely he’ll offend again.”
Sheriff John Montgomery told Gourlay: “Hopefully you’ve learned from this but you will pay £135 in compensation to the people who owned the CCTV system.”
