AN AYRSHIRE business owner ended up behind bars after going to an ex-partner’s house in Ayr and hurling verbal abuse at her before staring through her windows.

Alastair Dick spent six weeks on remand after pleading guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at the woman’s home last month.

But Dick, the owner of AD Tarmac, was spared further jail time when he appeared for sentencing at Ayr Sheriff Court.

Dick, of Earlston, near Gatehead, admitted driving a vehicle to the woman’s home address in Alloway on February 7, shouting out of the vehicle’s window, and then getting out and adopting an aggressive demeanour.

The 40-year-old went on to repeatedly shout and swear, made offensive remarks and repeatedly looked through the windows of the property while demanding entry.

His solicitor told a sentencing hearing that Dick had experienced anger issues and cocaine use, but said those were “no excuse for his behaviour”.

The lawyer told Sheriff Shirley Foran: "He runs AD Tarmac Ltd. He pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, and accepts he acted on the day as libelled.  

"There have been issues with his previous behaviour, he is under no illusions this can't continue. 

"He is assessed as being at low risk of reoffending and knows it’s time he grew up."

Sheriff Foran said: "It's crystal clear it's time to make changes."

Dick was placed on a community payback order for two years and placed under social work supervision.

He will also have to complete 50 hours of unpaid work in 12 months, and must take part in the two-year Caledonia Programme, which aims to address male domestic abusive behaviour.

Dick has a previous conviction for breaching a non-harassment order barring him from having any form of contact with another woman.

The order was imposed at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on September 30, 2022 – and Dick breached it later that same day, before going on to do so repeatedly over the following nine months.

He spent 34 days on remand before being sentenced for that offence last August.

At that sentencing hearing, Sheriff Colin Bissett called it “about as flagrant a breach of a court order as it is possible to envisage” - while Dick's solicitor said his client's "success has sometimes made him feel self-entitled".

Sheriff Bissett said the offence “certainly passes the threshold for a custodial sentence”, but opted instead to order Dick to complete 175 hours of unpaid with within 12 months.