A KILWINNING man who threatened to blow up a block of flats has narrowly avoided a prison sentence.

A siege situation quickly developed at Eglinton Place after Robert Lynch warned police that he had disconnected the gas pipes and would blow the building up if they dared to enter his flat.

It was around 12.40am on October 5 that one of Lynch’s neighbours called the police complaining of his threatening and abusive behaviour.

When they arrived at the scene, officers could hear him shout: “You f****** upstairs! I’m going to blow you up! I am your reality and I won’t go away!” He was also playing loud music, blowing a whistle and banging on the walls.

More officers were called out to the scene and at 1.10am they went up to Lynch’s door, chapped it and identified themselves.

He was heard to reply: “F*** off, you’re not getting in! What the f*** to you c**** want anyway? I’ve done nothing wrong!” He was repeatedly asked to open the door, but refused and kept up his abusive language, warning: “Put my f****** door in and we’ll see what happens. You’re all f****** getting it if you come through the door. I’ve pulled the gas pipes and I’ve got a lighter!” Taking his threats seriously, police moved to evacuate the building, whose other residents included three adults and a child. Two fire appliances, a special response team, a gas engineer and a council joiner arrived on the scene, followed at 3.30pm by a police negotiator, who began to speak with Lynch.

However, Lynch refused to co-operate in any way, continuing to make threats to assault police if they entered and telling them: “I’m in the oven for something!” A gas engineer isolated the supply to the building, at which point officers forced entry and placed Lynch under arrest.

The 45-year-old, now of Springvale Street, Saltcoats, admitted the offence at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last month, returning for sentencing last week.

Social work and psychiatric reports confirmed he had been seeking treatment for his mental health problems and was fit to undertake unpaid work in the community.

Sheriff Iona McDonald, presiding, said: “I called for a variety of reports as I had concerns regarding the nature of this offence whereby there were a number of emergency services called out to deal with you at huge public cost.

“The psychiatric report indicated the real reason things got out of hand is you decided to imbibe alcohol as well as your medication.” Lynch was sentenced to 18 months supervision and ordered to undertake 280 hours of work.

Normally, in the case of a guilty plea, there would be a discount, but Sheriff McDonald said: “The discount, Mr Lynch, is that you’re not going to jail on these matters.”