A THREE Towns man who threatened a convicted rapist and told him he would murder him if he came back to Ardrossan has walked free from court.

David McGowan pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at South Beach car park causing the complainer fear and alarm during a run-in with the offender on February 27 last year.

The 41-year-old Saltcoats man was admonished and dismissed after the court heard the resident had a chance encounter with the complainer – who had been convicted at the High Court for ‘assaults of a very personal nature’.

When he appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last Friday (November 22) a procurator fiscal depute said: “At 12.20pm the witness and another male were out for a drive on motorbikes in Kilmarnock, eventually ending up in Ardrossan.

“At the South Beach car park they got off the bikes and he took his helmet off.

“The accused was sitting in the front passenger seat of a car driven by a female.

“He got out then shouted at the witness, calling him a ‘f*****g paedo’ and saying ‘you raped a six-year-old female in Stewarton’.

“He said he would ‘stab f**k out’ him and murder him if he ever saw him in Ardrossan again.

“The accused got in the car and drove off. The witness photographed the vehicle.

“On March 4 the registered keeper was traced. He was cautioned and charged and made no reply."

Defence solicitor Peter Murray said his client "does have a record" but told the court that McGowan's last conviction was in 2000 when he was aged 17.

Mr Murray said: “To give some context, the complainer was convicted in relation to assaults of very personal nature."

The solicitor said the offence involved a female known to McGowan.

He added: “This was something of a chance meeting and parties do not usually cross.

"This happened in 2023 almost two years ago."

Sheriff Laura Mundell said: “Mr McGowan I’m going to admonish you in respect of this charge.”

McGowan replied: “Thank you very much.”