Andy Hamilton

Kyle Fellowes, aged 23, appeared at Ayr Sheriff Court facing a charge of possessing a knife without reasonable excuse or lawful authority in a public place on Crosshill Road in Maybole. He pleaded not guilty, and the allegation will be heard again at a later date.

Robert Thorburn, 69, pleaded not guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to allegedly sexually assaulting a woman while she was asleep in Prestwick between October 29 and 30, 2024. The charge alleges that he removed her underwear and performed a sexual act while she was incapable of consenting. The Crown said it was ready for a three- or four-day trial, and Thorburn was released on bail pending a future trial date.

Morgan Brown, 30, was convicted at Ayr Sheriff Court of sexually assaulting a woman while dancing with her at The BUF in Prestwick on Valentine’s Day. He touched her back and buttocks, attempted to lift her and touch her private parts, and later made sexualised gestures. Brown avoided imprisonment but received 12 months of social-work supervision, 150 hours of unpaid work, 12 months on the sex offenders register and a two-year non-harassment order.

Michael Haugh, 61, failed to appear at a pre-trial hearing at Ayr Sheriff Court in connection with allegations that he made racially abusive comments, behaved aggressively and assaulted a worker at The Fox pub in Troon. He is also accused of spitting at and assaulting a police constable. The charges are aggravated by alleged racial prejudice. A warrant was issued for his arrest, while bail was continued.

Dean Smart, 34, pleaded guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to assaulting a man outside the Athletic Tavern and on Dalrymple Street in Girvan on August 8, 2025. The assault involved biting, punching, kicking and stamping on the victim's head and body, leaving him unconscious and seriously injured. The sheriff ordered background reports, continued Smart's bail and set a later court date.

Lee Morrison, 41, of Mossblown, pleaded guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to engaging in a course of abusive behaviour against his partner or ex-partner between November 2023 and June 2025. The admitted conduct included repeated verbal abuse, physical assaults, restricting her breathing, throwing objects, and causing injury. He also admitted repeatedly contacting her in breach of an order. Sentencing was deferred for criminal justice social work reports and a risk assessment; bail was continued pending a further court appearance.

Paige Duncan, 20, avoided a custodial sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting a woman with a glass bottle in Ayr, causing severe injury and permanent impairment, and repeatedly punching a man at Boswell Park. The court imposed a community payback order with two years of supervision, 200 hours of unpaid work, and a six-month restriction of liberty requiring her to remain at home from 7pm to 7am. Sheriff Siobhan Connelly described the assaults as serious and said custody would ordinarily have been considered for an adult, but applied sentencing guidelines for young people.

Lee Vennard, 25, was sentenced at Ayr Sheriff Court to a total of 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a drinking companion with a knife during an argument over a can of lager. The victim suffered a 45mm-deep wound to the buttocks. The sheriff cited the seriousness of the offence, the harm caused, Vennard’s previous convictions and his breach of a community payback order. His main 16-month sentence was reduced from two years for his guilty plea and backdated to his remand date, with additional sentences imposed for other matters.

Kevin Goudie, 34, pleaded guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to behaviour intended to stir racial hatred after climbing onto the roof of the Al Farooq Education and Community Centre and Mosque in Ayr, planting a “Stop the boats” flag and shouting racist abuse. Police Scotland identified him through CCTV and arrested him days later. Goudie remains in custody while a background report is prepared, and he will return to court for sentencing.

Cameron Young was acquitted at Ayr Sheriff Court after the Crown discontinued its effort to secure a conviction on an allegation that he shared intimate photographs and films of a woman without her consent via text messages and social media. The charge also alleged that the disclosure was intended to cause fear, alarm or distress, involved abuse of an ex-partner, and occurred while Young was on bail.

Ewen Cameron was sentenced to 18 months in prison, reduced from two years after his guilty plea, for exposing himself and masturbating in front of two girls under 13 at Craig Tara Holiday Park. The sheriff cited the seriousness of the offence, the potential for lasting harm and Cameron’s previous similar convictions. His sentence was backdated to September 22, and he was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order restricting contact with anyone under 18.

Indrit Lika, a 38-year-old Albanian national, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to producing cannabis in a former Co-op building in Maybole. Police found 312 mature plants and a drying area containing 100kg of cannabis buds; prosecutors valued the plants at between £62,400 and £187,200, excluding the dried cannabis. Lika was identified through CCTV and was arrested after fleeing the premises. His sentence was reduced from two years because of his guilty plea and backdated to February 25, 2026.

A 35-year-old man, Stephen Douglas, pleaded not guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to a charge of sexually assaulting a female ticket inspector on a train travelling between Troon and Ayr. The incident allegedly occurred on January 10, 2026, while he was on bail for previous matters. Court dates for further hearings and trial have been scheduled.

A man from Troon pleaded guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to a prolonged pattern of abusive behaviour toward his former partner, including choking, striking, and stalking her both on land and at sea. Incidents spanned multiple locations between 2023 and 2025, resulting in injuries and repeated unwanted contact after the relationship ended. Despite meeting the threshold for custody, the sheriff imposed a community payback order, supervision, unpaid work, and a three‑year non‑harassment order. The victim criticised the sentence as insufficient given the severity of the physical and psychological abuse and credited Women’s Aid for the support that enabled her to report the offences.

A couple pled guilty at Ayr Sheriff Court to wilfully neglecting their two daughters, who were found living in a severely unclean flat filled with rubbish, dog faeces and food waste, with inadequate sleeping arrangements and no suitable facilities. Police officers, alerted by a head teacher during a welfare check, removed the children and two dogs from the property. The mother also admitted breaching bail by contacting the children. She received an 18‑month community payback order, while the father was sentenced to six months in prison, and both were banned from owning pets for four years.

A man pleaded guilty to a prolonged pattern of abusive behaviour toward two former partners, including physical assaults, threats to share intimate images, and posting a video of smashing an egg on one victim’s head. Police investigations uncovered additional incidents of aggression and property damage. The court imposed a two‑year community payback order with supervision, a three‑year non‑harassment order, and a five‑month curfew.

A 71-year-old previously convicted Australian sex offender avoided jail after admitting he attempted to engage in indecent communication with an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old in Ayr. The court heard details of his past offences and the messages he sent before his arrest. He received a community payback order, a sexual harm prevention order with internet restrictions, and was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years.

A Prestwick woman, Rachel Munro, already facing charges for allegedly sending sexual images and threatening messages to another woman, has been accused of an additional offence involving the disclosure of intimate images of a man without consent. The alleged incidents occurred in late March 2026 and are said to have caused fear and alarm to the complainer. Her case, handled at Ayr Sheriff Court, has been continued without plea, with bail conditions preventing contact with the alleged victims.

Two Ayr residents, Derek Keirs and Mary Welsh, appeared in a private petition hearing at Ayr Sheriff Court on charges of assault and robbery, with Keirs also facing an offensive weapon charge. Both issued no plea, and while Keirs was remanded in custody, Welsh was granted bail pending a future court date.

Steven Curry, 43, faces charges of assault, attempted robbery, burglary, breach of bail conditions and abusive behaviour following incidents in Ayr on March 7, 2026. He is accused of threatening a woman with a screwdriver, stealing medication from a Lloyds pharmacy and violating curfew conditions. Court documents state he also behaved abusively toward a police officer. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody pending further proceedings.