A MAN who got aggressive with a six-year-old after she refused an ice cream he bought for her has been let off the hook.

The man who cannot be named for legal reasons was found outside the ice cream van, last August, by the child’s grandfather. The girl was upset and appeared to be crying.

The 61-year-old appeared before Sheriff Desmond Leslie at Ayr Sheriff Court last week where he admitted behaving in a threatening manner, shouting, swearing and making derogatory remarks outside an Ayr property to one of its residents.

He made the comments following events that had happened earlier.

Depute fiscal Stephen McLean, said: “At the time of the offence, the accused was living in the bottom flat while the witness was upstairs.

“At around 4pm the complainer and her 6-year-old daughter were at home with the woman’s father in law. At one point the child went outside to get an ice cream from the van in the street.

“The accused was in front of her in the queue and offered the child money to pay for it. He became insistent when the girl refused and tried to give her an ice cream. 

“She began to cry. Her grandfather heard her and saw the accused. He picked the girl up and returned to the flat. The accused returned to his own property.

“The child’s mother went to her neighbour’s front door to ask him to stay away from her daughter. A short time later the accused was outside on the street shouting and swearing.

“He called the woman a wh**e and a sl*g.”

Speaking on his behalf, defence solicitor, Colin Adam, said: “He is 61-year-old and is unemployed. He is old enough to remember a time when people bought children an ice cream as a kind gesture.”

Addressing the dock, Sheriff Leslie, said: “This is a very unfortunate set of circumstances. You should not have stood in the street shouting about it no matter how upset you were feeling.”

The man was admonished by Sheriff Leslie but has a criminal record.