A police sergeant shouted and swore at a woman after tailing the council worker’s car to her home with his baby in the backseat after ‘taking umbrage’ to her sounding the horn at him.

Sgt Christopher Hynds, 42, was found guilty of threatening or abusive behaviour after trial having followed the complainer’s car to her home, shouting and swearing, leaving the housing support worker ‘shaken’.

Police Scotland confirmed action on the still-serving sergeant is being considered by its standards department – after the cop ‘lost the plot’ and reversed back out his driveway when bringing his family a McDonald’s with his baby in the rear of the vehicle.

During the trial last week [Friday, March 17] the complainer told the court she blasted her horn to alert Hynds to her presence after he allegedly used ‘no indication whatsoever’ when manoeuvring into his driveway.

She told how she then saw him pulling back out his driveway ‘at speed’ and following her during the incident between Ayr's Cedar Road and nearby Willow Park on March 7, 2021 at around 3.30pm.

It was claimed he also flashed his lights, which the court heard was indicating for her to pull over.

When he then ‘screeched to a halt’ out side her driveway, the complainer stated: “He shouted ‘what the f*** are you beeping your f***ing horn at?*

She said: “I was a bit scared, this guy’s actually followed me home, who does that?

“I was scared of his intentions I didn’t know if he would attack me. Why would you follow someone home? I was shaking.

“After reaching in to get my mobile phone to take picture of him he drove away.”

A 57-year-old lady told the court she observed Hynds car pull up outside her neighbouring home and saw the off-duty officer in his vehicle from her window waving his hands about with his head out the window of his car.

A defence motion that their was no case to answer, arguing the charge could not be proven was refused by Sheriff John Montgomery, who stated: “That’s for me to decide”.

In the witness box, Sgt Hynds denied allegations of having failed to indicate, alleging he believed the complainer was a ‘boy racer’ driving too close and claiming he intended to take down their registration.

After both witnesses said they couldn’t see anyone else inside the vehicle, Sgt Hynds told the court he had his 11-month-old child in the backseat and a McDonald’s for his family in the front passenger seat.

When Hynds admitted he may have been ‘condescending’ but not ‘aggressive’, Sheriff Montgomery suggested: “It’s not a good idea for the police to be condescending.”

The Procurator Fiscal depute put it to Hynds: “When she sounded the horn you thought ‘I’m not having that, I will pursue the person’. You lost the plot didn’t you?”.

Sgt Hynds said: “No I did not”.

However while the sheriff found the driving allegations on the complaint could not be corroborated, he found him guilty of threatening or abusive behaviour.

Sheriff Montgomery said: “What happened that day was you were driving home and the complainer was driving behind you. For whatever reason you didn’t notice her and decided to enter the driveway.

“Having taken the decision to alert her presence with the car horn, you took umbrage to the horn and weren’t having that and decided to follow her.

“Brought to a halt outside her driveway, you engaged in shouting and swearing.”

He found him guilty following deletions in the charge relating to his driving on the day.

When solicitor Christopher Shaw, of Levy McRae, suggested matters could be dealt with in a fine, Sheriff Montgomery replied: “I agree entirely”.

Sgt Hynds was fined £500 with a £40 payment to the Scottish Government’s victim surcharge fund.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are aware of the outcome in court.

"The circumstances will now be considered by our Professional Standards Department for further action.”