Neighbour bludgeoned over noise row

Dec 11 2009 Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A THUG bludgeoned his neighbour with a metal bar in a row over noise.

Alexander Renwick, 56, admitted assaulting the man earlier this year after an ongoing neighbourhood feud over excessive noise.

Stephen O’Hanlon was attacked when the bickering got out of hand.

Renwick, formerly of Littlemill Place in Rankinston, pleaded guilty to assault at Ayr Sheriff Court this week.

The court was told that Renwick approached Mr O’Hanlon with the two foot long bar and said: “Just carry on, you’ll regret it.”

Renwick then struck his neighbour once on the forehead, pressed his foot into his neck and then walked away.

He was arrested by police at his home address shortly after the assault.

Renwick’s defence lawyer told the court that despite the nature of the weapon, there were only minor injuries to the complainer’s head after the attack in May this year.

Sentencing Renwick, Sheriff Carole Cunningham said the offence was completely unacceptable.

She ordered him to carry out 225 hours of community service and placed him on probation for 18 months.

But she warned him that it was “by a very narrow margin” that he was not going to jail thanks to his four previous convictions.