AN IRVINE man has been handed a fine after breaching conditions of his bail to contact his ex-partner.

Nicholas McCann was placed under the court order not to contact his former girlfriend on December 14 last year.

The 40-year-old was only allowed contact with his former partner via a third party and only for the purposes of arranging childcare.

Kilmarnock Sheriff Court was told that the Irvine man had become frustrated with this arrangement, as he looked to secure contact with his daughter over Christmas.

This led to the breach of bail which McCann, of Galt Avenue, pleaded guilty to at the Ayrshire courthouse last week.

The procurator fiscal depute told the court that the accused had been in a relationship with his ex-partner for seven years before their separation in August of last year.

The pair had one child together, with his ex-partner also having another three older children from other relationships.

On December 22, McCann had contacted one of her older children to arrange contact with the couple's daughter over the festive period. He had been using this method since the court order had been put in place.

However, while messaging her son, the 40-year-old mentioned to him that he had now unblocked his ex-partner's phone number and that he should "tell her to ring me if she wants to see me."

His former girlfriend was unaware of McCann's messages at this time.

Later that day, she was in her Drongan home with her new partner when she received a phone call from an unknown number - which transpired to be McCann.

When she asked who was calling, she was told: "Who do you think it is?" 

Her partner, who was next to her at the time, heard the phone call and police were later contacted about the incident.

McCann was then arrested, cautioned and charged at his home address the following day.

McCann's solicitor Peter Murray said the Irvine man understood that he "overstepped the mark."

He told the court: "He has been made well aware of how serious this is. All I can say is he contacted her adult son and was making arrangements through him.

"It was causing some delays and some frustrations.

"Discussions during this time were in relation to Christmas and Boxing Day. His motivation was just to secure contact with his young child.

"He understands he overstepped the mark. There won't be a repetition."

Passing sentence on the matter, Sheriff Colin Bissett warned McCann that such breaches of bail would not be tolerated.

He said: "I am sure you realise by now that when the court makes an order it expects this to be complied with."

McCann was then fined a total of £210.