A teenager has avoided jail after claiming he was being bullied by guards and inmates while he was on remand.

Dylan Landsborough appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week after admitting to repeatedly punching a member of staff in the head at the Riverside Lodge Hotel on September 29 this year.

The 18-year-old, of Scott Road, also admitted to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm, breaking a vase, shouting and swearing and challenging other employees to a fight.

Landsborough’s lawyer, Colin McLaughlin pleaded with Sheriff Michael Hanlon not to send the teenager back to jail claiming he had been “preyed upon ” in HMYOI Polmont.

He told the court: “The last three weeks have been a wake-up call. He’s been preyed upon by the guards and there’s been bullying going on among other inmates.”

Mr McLaughlin said his client now had the support of his family and was keen to turn his life around.

He said: “There’s a genuine recognition on his part that he’s at a point in his life where he needs to either keep offending or make something of himself.

“When he has the support of his family he can comply with the order, and when that relationship breaks down, that’s when the offending occurs.”

Sheriff Hanlon said: “I had an idea of sending you to prison right up until a few moments ago, but I’m willing to take a step back.”

Landsborough was sentenced to a Community Payback Order with supervision for 18 months with a tag and 7pm-7am curfew, fined £150 and ordered to pay £500 compensation to the victim.