A THREE Towns thug left a man scarred for life after a vicious assault at a busy railway station.

David Ballantyne's victim was "permanently disfigured" after the attack at Kilwinning station a year ago.

The 27-year-old is now awaiting sentence after pleading guilty at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court to assault and two other offences committed on November 19, 2022.

Court papers described how Ballantyne, of Guthrie Road, Saltcoats, injured and permanently disfigured his male victim after striking him on the face.

Ballantyne also admitted a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour during a train journey between Glengarnock and Kilwinning on the same day, when he "adopted an aggressive demeanour", shouted, swore and repeatedly made threats of violence.

Court documents describe how Ballantyne "pursued other passengers alighting the train".

Ballantyne pleaded guilty to committing a third offence on the same day - another count of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause others fear or alarm, this time by repeatedly hitting his head against a police vehicle at Kilwinning railway station.

And three days after the incidents at Kilwinning and on board the train, Ballantyne went off the rails once more.

He admitted shouting at a female ticket examiner on board a train between Kilwinning and Saltcoats on November 22 last year, following her and repeatedly gesticulating towards here.

Following his guilty pleas, Ballantyne had his sentence deferred for background reports; he will return to court to find out his fate before the end of the year.