A Lochaber man who admitted assaulting a 12-year-old boy in a shop car park was yesterday placed on a two-month restriction of liberty order.
Ewan Gourlay, 47, of 43 Wallace Place, Fort William, pleaded guilty at a previous hearing at the town’s sheriff court to assaulting the child by chasing him and seizing hold of him in Morrisons car park at An Aird on October 15 last year.
Sentencing was deferred until yesterday for a background report.
Fiscal depute Martina Eastwood told the court the incident was sparked by a group of boys playing with styrofoam sticks in the store, which
annoyed the accused.
She said the bad feeling kicked off again in the car park and Gourlay ran towards the boy, grabbing hold of him by the shoulders and shouting at him.
Niall MacBeath, representing Gourlay, said the boys had been shouting and swearing and acting in an aggressive manner towards his client and his client’s family.
Sentencing Gourlay, Sheriff Mark Thorley said he had a “lengthy record” and pointed out that he was currently subject to a restriction of liberty order to which he added another two months.
