A MAN from Donegal who shouted a pro-IRA term in Kilmarnock town centre has been fined £1,300.
Johnny McElroy, 37, pleaded guilty at Kilmarnock Sherriff Court to acting in a threatening or abusive manner, according to the Daily Record.
The Daily Record reports that Mr McElroy shouted “up the RA” towards a group of individuals leaving a nightclub and was warned by police.
The incident occurred on November 20 at a local taxi rank.
Mr McElroy continued to hurl abuse towards the group despite being told that he would be arrested if he did not stop.
He was asked to wait quietly in the taxi queue before resuming his tirade 15 minutes later.
After being approached by a police officer with a Northern Irish accent, Mr McElroy commented: “You must be in the UDA, on Johnny Adair’s side.”
Despite his behaviour police did not originally arrest McElroy, but instead placed him in a taxi, from which he shouted “up the RA” at officers as it pulled away.
Mr McElroy was then arrested by police.
En route to the police station he was then heard to say: “Our day will come,” and “I will get you” to officers.
Defence solicitor David Simpson said that his client, a fisherman, had been at sea for five days prior to the incident.
Mr Simpson said: “On the night in question, he tells me he had been drinking quite a significant amount.”
Sherriff Alistair Watson said McElroy’s actions were “a disgrace and disgusting”.
“If you do this again and appear in my court, you will go to prison. We don’t need people coming to Scotland and bringing that sort of nonsense here," he said.
