A THUG set fire to a flat in Ayr after he kicked and stamped on his friend's head, beating him with a guitar and stealing his trainers.

William McGarry pleaded guilty to the savage assault on his ‘friend’ in Galloway Avenue and at the Tesco filling station in Whitletts Road on October 29 last year.

The 28-year-old repeatedly struck his victim on the head with a guitar, repeatedly pursued him, and repeatedly pulled him to the ground.

McGarry dragged him by the clothing, pursued him repeatedly, punched and kicked him while on the ground, and repeatedly stamped on his head to his injury and to the danger of his life.

He then robbed him of a pair of shoes.

McGarry later wilfully set fire to a mattress, a sofa, and items of clothing in various locations in a property on Ayr's Gould Street, causing a blaze to take effect to the danger of those nearby.

He also admitted behaving in a threatening and abusive manner towards his partner on January 9 while breaching conditions of a bail order granted on September 13 at Ayr Sheriff Court.

Defence solicitor Ian Gillies told a sentencing hearing at the same court that his client had “only been in a young offenders Institution" previously, but Sheriff Shirley Foran said: "He will have to be realistic given the circumstances". 

The procurator fiscal depute said: "The witness and the accused were friends. On October 28 they had been in a friend's flat drinking alcohol. An argument broke out and at that point the accused struck the complainer on the head repeatedly with a guitar.

"Both then left the flat.

"At 1.10am CCTV captured the accused and complainer walking from Gould Street on to Galloway Street. Both appeared in conversation and in good spirits.

"A witness was inside her home and heard shouting. She looked outside and saw both men arguing. She was alarmed at the level of anger expressed by the accused and decided to record both men.

"The accused pulled his hood and dragged the complainer along the ground, kicking and punching him to the head and body.

"He was shouting 'I want you to go round there, look in the old woman's face and apologise’, 'you know what you've done, admit what you've done and apologise', 'f*****g coward' and 'you deserve a hiding'.

"He then said 'get up on your feet right now’, and at this point chased him to the Tesco petrol station on Whitletts Road.

"He pulled him to the ground and violently attacked him by repeatedly punching and kicking his head and body on the ground. He then stamped on his head.

"He removed his trainers and removed his socks and threw his socks at him. At that point he stamped on his head once more and walked off.

"He returned once more and stamped on his head and body and left in possession of the trainers.

"The assault was captured on CCTV. The accused was identified walking with the trainers.

"Injuries included a swollen right ear, bloodied nose and swollen left eye. The complainer did not seek medical attention.”

The accused then said: “I heavy left him in a bad way, man, had to get all my anger out and he was right’.”

Describing the fire-raising incident the prosecutor said: “At 5.21pm on December 10 police received a call from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service reporting wilful fireraising at a property fire in three separate locations. Police attended immediately. 

The first fire was in the bedroom, the second within the living room, and the third fire was set on the kitchen floor and a pile of clothes.

"The door was open and the common close filled with thick black smoke.

"It appeared that the door had been kicked in.”

A neighbour advised that he had been at home at around 5pm when the fire alarm sounded.

The fiscal added: "Police CCTV inquiries showed the accused entering the common close.

"The accused sent a message to his partner making reference to the fire."

"On December 22 the accused was bailed on the condition he should not approach or contact [his ex partner].

“At 9am she was walking children to school. She saw the accused approach to speak.

“The witness told the accused not to speak to her and she would phone the police.

"He called her a 'grass' and said 'I'm going to get a junkie to slash you'."

"Police on mobile patrol saw the accused waving his arms and shouting."

Sheriff Foran deferred sentence for criminal justice social work reports and McGarry, whose address was listed as HMP Kilmarnock, was returned to custody.