AN irate Beith boyfriend who trashed his girlfriend’s garden with a JCB in a fit of anger after she split up with him has been spared jail for the offence.

Alisdair McKinnon drove the huge vehicle towards the woman’s cottage when she told him their relationship was over - then smashed plant pots and dug up soil.

McKinnon, 33, had been in an on-off relationship with the woman for four years and was living with her and her children.

But she lost her job and he had to take on more work to be able to pay the bills - putting a strain on their relationship and leading to her wanting a break.

The JCB driver parked his vehicle in the drive before entering the home he shared with her on the outskirts of Paisley, Renfrewshire, on Thursday, March 16, this year.

But she told him their relationship was over and ordered him to leave and, incensed at the development, he jumped behind the wheel of his JCB to exact revenge.

He lifted the arm of the JCB, which had a bucket on to the end, and swung it towards the bay window of the home.

He stopped short of damaging the building and turned his attention to her garden, using the JCB to smash large plant pots and kerb stones, before digging up soil and moving it around the garden - then taking off.

The woman, who was in her house with one of her children from a previous relationship at the time, reported the incident to police that night.

Officers probing the drama tracked McKinnon down to an address in Beith the following day and he was arrested and held in police custody for three nights at Saltcoats police station.

He pleaded guilty to two charges over the wrecking spree when appearing in the dock at Paisley Sheriff Court last month.

He struck a deal with prosecutors which saw him admit his guilt in exchange for claims he repeatedly texted his ex against her will, and attended her house uninvited, being dropped.

He pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner, in breach of Section 38(1) of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010, by driver his JCB towards her house with the digger arm raised, placing her and son in a state of fear or alarm.

And he also admitted wilfully or recklessly damaging the property - in breach of Section 52(1) and (3) of the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 - by driving the digger on to the premises and using it to “strike plant pots and kerb stones and move a large quantity of soil near the building there, damaging said plant pots, kerb stones and the ground there.”

Sentence was deferred for background reports and McKinnon returned to the dock this week to learn his fate with the threat of a 12-month jail term hanging over his head.

Defence Solicitor Advocate Bob Mitchell asked for leniency for McKinnon, saying the couple were working through their difficulties at the time and now wanted to get back together.

And he pointed out that the woman had written several letters in a bid to have a bail condition banning McKinnon from approaching or contacting her lifted.

He added: “She had lost her job and he took on additional work.

“This placed a strain on the relationship.

“He was working longer hours to make up for the financial gap.

“This was simply an over-reaction.

“His behaviour itself was unusual.”

After hearing that McKinnon had a previous conviction involving another former girlfriend, Sheriff David Pender spared him jail - but ordered him to get help for how he handles himself with his partners.

McKinnon was placed on an 18-month Community Payback Order which will see him supervised by social workers and undergo counselling to “address domestic issues.”

He was also given a year to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work within the community.

The woman refused to discuss the case when approached at her home last month.