A SHERIFF has told a Kilwinning man who lobbed fruit at two teenage girls while hurling homophobic abuse that his choice of language ‘belongs in the past’.

Zak Walker, 20, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on March 15 more than 18 months after the offences took place.

Walker was charged with assaulting a 16-year-old girl at a skatepark near to Pennyburn Road on August 30, 2020 by throwing apples at the victim which struck her on the body.

The offence was aggravated by prejudice relating to sexual orientation.

The accused also faced a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm by shouting homophobic remarks towards the same victim and another girl.

At last week’s hearing, Sheriff Michael Hanlon blasted Walker’s “cowardly bullying behaviour” and told him: “That kind of insult is from generations ago.”

Walker, of Glenapp Place in Kilwinning, was admonished and dismissed by the court.

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