A 35-year-old who attacked a man with a shoehorn has been ordered to carry out 70 hours of unpaid work.

Gary Conn, of Ardrossan’s Montgomery Street, pled guilty to one charge at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week.

The court heard that there were a number of people attending a garden party in Stevenston on May 25. At around 1.20am on May 26, Conn entered the garden and started shouting at the complainer, saying that he was not welcome there. The man said he had been allowed to stay.

Conn then approached with what witnesses thought was a bat but turned out to be a shoehorn. He kicked away the man’s chair and started striking him to the shoulder, arm and knee area until witnesses pulled him away.

When police and ambulance attended, Conn stated that he had hit the complainer. He was subsequently arrested.

Representing himself at court, Conn said he had been drinking and also claimed that he had been the victim of two assaults in connection with the complainer.

He said: “I had a wee drink with my friend and that’s when I lost it.

“A couple of years ago I was assaulted twice. I got a kickin’ from the young team.”