Falkirk court hears offender got ticket to ride to Liverpool when he should have let it be

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Aiden Lewis, 21, had admitted a number of offences, including assaulting a woman – spitting on her – at an address in Scott Wynd, Kirkintilloch on December 13 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour – again spitting at a woman – in Wallace Street, Falkirk on February 7 this year and breaching his bail conditions by contacting the woman in Wallace Street, Central Retail Park and Grahams Road, Falkirk between February 20 and February 22.

The procurator fiscal depute said Lewis breached his bail conditions when he agreed to go on a trip to Liverpool with the woman the court had ordered him to steer clear of.

The two were captured on CCTV at Falkirk Grahamston Railway Station boarding a train together to the famous north west England city – birthplace of The Beatles.

"They spent the weekend in Liverpool and there appears to have been no issues. They returned to Scotland at 9am on February 22. He got off the train at Lenzie, while she got off at Larbert.”

It appears police were contacted by the woman’s mother. It was stated the trip – for the woman’s birthday – had been arranged prior to the court proceedings taking place.

Mark Fallon, defence solicitor, said: “They had a previous holiday booked. The complainer contacted him and said she still wanted to go and, somewhat naively, he agreed to do that.”

Sheriff Craig Harris noted Lewis, 27 Highfield Avenue, Kirkintilloch, was already subject to a community payback order and allowed it to continue, transferring it to Glasgow Sheriff Court.

He said: “I do take account of your young ag, but this was a blatant breach of bail conditions.”

Sheriff Harris placed him on another community payback order to run consecutive to his existing order with the condition he complete 50 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and also transferred that order to Glasgow Sheriff Court.