A 64-year-old man who racially abused the family living upstairs to him has dodged a jail term.

Angus McLeod from Kilwinning appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week, where he represented himself and pled guilty to one charge.

The court heard that McLeod had a habit of banging from his flat whenever he considered his upstairs neighbours to be too noisy.

The neighbours were in their home on July 15 with their young son, who was running around the property playing.

McLeod was heard banging up from downstairs.

He then shouted: “F*****’ Polish b******s.”

The couple were distressed and told their local council office, who directed them to police.

Sheriff Alistair Watson told McLeod: “I have your letter here and I see it says you feel ashamed of the matter and you don’t consider yourself a racist person. What are your circumstances?”

McLeod said that he had previously worked for the local council and now received a private pension of £700 a month.

Sheriff Watson said: “So you’re presently not making any contribution to society but you think it’s acceptable to shout at people because of their race? Why bring that into it?”

McLeod answered: “I was drunk when I said it.”

Sheriff Watson said: “What am I to do with you when I look at your previous record?

“In November 2015 you behaved in a threatening or abusive manner with a religious aggravation. Why do you do this?”

McLeod again said that he had been drunk, to which Sheriff Watson replied: “Sadly in Scotland a lot of people do drink too much but they don’t commit crimes.”

McLeod then claimed that he had stopped drinking around four weeks previously and that he was “going totally cold turkey”.

Sheriff Watson asked: “Pretty early days then?”

He then added: “If you find yourself in my court again I will send you to jail. I find this kind of conduct utterly unacceptable.

“In a modern Scotland people who come here and contribute to society should not be subjected to abuse from someone who sits and does not contribute anything.

“You do this again you will be going to jail.”

Sheriff Watson fined McLeod £500.