AN IRVINE man has admitted drunkenly attempting to hotwire a car and verbally abusing police.

John Taylor, 18, broke into a car parked near Springbank Service Station in Ayr Road on July 15, attempting to hotwire the vehicle.

The incident occurred at around 11.15pm when police on patrol saw Taylor acting suspiciously and appeared to be looking into the windows of vehicles in the area.

In the time that it took police to move closer to the scene, they found Taylor in the driver’s seat of a car, having gained entry by smashing the rear window.

Officers noticed that the gearbox of the car had been lifted open in an attempt to hotwire the vehicle.

He was arrested shortly afterwards but was taken to Crosshouse Hospital as the officers were concerned about Taylor’s welfare due to his state of intoxication.

After being examined at the hospital, he was considered fit enough to be taken into custody but this did not go down well with Taylor.

When in the process of being removed from the hospital, Taylor became verbally abusive, shouting and swearing at the officers.

He shouted: “F*** you I’ll f***ing get you!” and proceeded to kick the walls of the room he was being examined in.

Taylor, who lives in Ayr Road, appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week where he pled guilty to the offences.

His representative Miss Dawson told the court how Taylor was on a birthday night out after celebrating his 18th birthday the day before.

She claimed he had very little recollection of the incident after having far too much to drink.

She also added that Taylor had offered to pay compensation for the damage he caused.

However, presiding Sheriff Iona McDonald took a dim view of Taylor’s behaviour.

She said: “My main concern about you Mr Taylor is that you get yourself so drunk that you try to hotwire a car.

“And no doubt you probably would have driven the car and may even have killed someone.

“You do not seem to understand that there are consequences for your actions.

“You’re not 12 years old now you’re 18.

“It’s time to grow up Mr Taylor. If you want to go down this road then you will go to prison.

“And that’s not a prediction, that’s a promise!” His case was adjourned until September to gather social work reports