A MAN who hurled abusive comments at court staff, including a sheriff and prosecutor, has earned himself more time behind bars.

Gary Stone's stream of verbal abuse at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court led to him being removed from the courtroom - but not before he'd called a sheriff a "f***ing trout".

Stone appeared from custody earlier this week - being brought back to exactly the same courtroom where he committed the original offence last year.

The 37-year-old admitted a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner within the court buildings on July 18 last year.

The procurator fiscal depute said Stone had first appeared in the dock at around 10.30am that day, having "dispensed with his solicitor".

That led to a delay in the case, which called again after a wait of some two hours.

On hearing the detail of the charges, Stone, described in court papers as a prisoner at HMP Barlinnie in Glasgow, began to become "animated and aggressive", repeatedly swearing and calling the fiscal depute who had been on duty that day a "f***ing joke" and a "f***ing beast".

When the fiscal depute tried to continue explaining the circumstances, Stone again began shouting, accusing people of being "beasts" and complaining they were "making things up".

 

At this point, the hearing was told, Stone called the presiding sheriff, and the prosecutor, "beasts" and "c**ts".

Despite repeated warnings, Stone's behaviour escalated - until the sheriff asked for him to be removed because she "feared for her safety and that of others in the court”.

As he was taken away Stone kept shouting, saying "don't you f***ing take me" and repeatedly shouting "c**ts".

He also called the sheriff a “f***ing trout” then roared loudly as he was being led out of the courtroom.

That heightened the sheriff's concerns and the case was heard in Stone's absence, with a prison sentence handed out for the original crime.

His solicitor - the same man Stone had previously "dispensed with" - said his client had a "bad record" but now "wants to move on with his life".

The lawyer said Stone had taken umbrage at one part of a charge which had been read out in open court, and pointed out there had been "no physical manifestation" to his client's behaviour.

Sheriff Murdoch Mactaggart told Stone: "It makes the offence more serious that you did this in the court room, directing your behaviour at court staff just doing their job.”

“The only appropriate disposal is a custodial one.”

Stone was handed a 10-month jail term which will begin when his current sentence expires.