A violent attacker restrained by Bill Grant MP has paid only £10 of his £1200 fine, writes Edwin Lawrence.
Share fisherman Johnny McElroy, 39, was arrested in Ayr last week and appeared in court the next day.
He had been ordered to pay the fine at £100 per month.
Bill Grant was 66 at the time of the incident at Billy Bridges pub in Sandgate on March 3 last year.
He stepped in to assist when McElroy refused to leave the pub and started swinging punches at landlord Jim Wardrop.
The MP helped to restrain McElroy on the pavement outside the pub until police arrived on the scene.
Officers were there within five minutes.
McElroy later dished out threats and abuse towards police and made sectarian remarks.
He was fined £600 for repeatedly trying to punch Mr Wardrop and a further £600 for his threats and sectarian remarks towards police.
But only a tenner has been paid.
McElroy told the court he hoped soon to conclude the sale of his house in County Donegal for £71,000.
He is now living in Ayr’s Gould Street with a partner.
“When will you get the money?” Sheriff John Montgomery asked McElroy.
“I don’t know exactly, your honour,” he replied, “but there’s a deposit on the house.”
Sheriff Montgomery ordered the full payment of the £1190 within six weeks.
