East Calder man’s bizarre behaviour terrifies school children

Dec 22 2011 West Lothian Courier

AN East Calder man has been sentenced to two months in jail after terrifying pupils at a local primary school with drunken and bizarre behaviour.

Gavin Laird (38) repeatedly took his top off and waved his belt above his head on a path outside St Ninian’s Primary in Livingston.

His strange behaviour caused kids to burst into tears and alarmed staff and parents.

When he was asked to stop by teacher Mark Stephenson, Laird started slapping and punching himself on the face and tightening his belt around his neck like a noose.

When police officers arrived at the scene they found Laird rambling incoherently and banging his head against a lamppost while kicking and punching the playground fence.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard that he was then arrested and taken to hospital for checks because he was too intoxicated to be cautioned and charged.

He earlier pleaded guilty to committing two breaches of the peace at the school on September 1 this year.

At an earlier hearing, Ian Botha, prosecuting, said Laird turned up at the school while children were in the playground during their lunchtime break.

A playground assistant was told that a drunk man at the school fence was shouting at children and taking his clothes off.

Mr Botha said: “The accused was waving a belt from side to side above his head and was seen removing his top on several occasions and showing his bare chest.

“Many of the children, who are aged four to seven years old, were frightened by this behaviour and started crying.”

A teacher approached Laird and told him to go away, but he responded by throwing a punch at the fence and stumbling backwards.

He then wrapped his belt around his neck and tightened it before the teacher took it away from him.

The school bell rang at that point and staff took the children back inside the building.

His solicitor Glenn Fraser said Laird had very little recollection of the incident as he had been drinking and had taken Valium.

He added: “Most of his behaviour was directed towards himself but he accepts that anybody who saw this would be alarmed.

“There was no shouting at the children – they just happened to be in the vicinity at the time along with some parents, staff and the police.

“This was poor, very bad behaviour involving the incoherent ramblings of someone who was very intoxicated.”

Sheriff Douglas Kinloch told Laird: “This was bizarre behaviour outside a primary school.

“It must have been disturbing to the children and others who saw it.

“Various things have been tried with you including prison and they didn’t work.

“A big part of the problem appears to be excessive drinking, perhaps binge drinking.”