A THUG threatened to pour boiling water over police after barricading his front door during a tense stand-off at a house in Ayr.

Sean McCulloch told officers he would shoot them and threatened to set a fire during the incident at his home in the town last year.

Police, ambulance and fire service personnel were all called to attend the stand-off – as were personnel from Scottish Power and Scottish Gas – in Ellisland Square on September 4, 2022.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable and reckless conduct at Ayr Sheriff Court last week – and was told that a jail term is inevitable.

Procurator fiscal depute Rosslyn Walsh said: “At 1am ,police were actioned to attend the locus in response to a noise complaint. Police noted the lights on and a window open.

“The accused appeared at the door and the door was barricaded shut.

“He shouted ‘f*** off, police scum’. He then punched the glass, which shattered on police, while shouting aggressively, stating he would shoot them.

“The accused threw items out the top window shouting ‘f***ing clowns’ and ‘f*** off, fannies’.

“He continued throwing items, and stated he would throw boiling water, spitting and threatening to kill officers and set a fire.

“[A witness] confirmed she was safe but did not engage with police.”

McCulloch eventually engaged with negotiators at the front door and was taken to Saltcoats police office. He was later taken to hospital for treatment to a laceration to his hand after punching the glass.

McCulloch’s solicitor said her client had been in custody since the day after the incident.

She said McCulloch suffered from “systematic alcohol misuse”, and added: “He advised he’s absolutely horrified [at his behaviour].

“It’s absolutely not lost on him, and he appreciates the court’s view on matters, and his significant record for his age.”

Sheriff Mhairi MacTaggart said she was concerned at what might happen on McCulloch’s eventual release, “due to the nature and extent of the violence and distress” caused during the incident.

She told McCulloch: “I rather suspected a difficulty with alcohol. You should rightly be appalled by this behaviour.”

Deferring sentence for background reports and returning McCulloch to custody, she added: “There is no alternative to custody, I want to make that clear to you. Cooperate fully with the report; it will be to your benefit.”

McCulloch’s younger brother, Mitchell McCulloch, 21, had also been remanded in connection with the incident, but the Crown accepted a plea from him of not guilty to the same charge.

Mitchell McCulloch was not present in court, with his solicitor, Tony Currie, telling the court his client’s absence was due to a “delayed bus” from the Polmont young offenders institute; he was released in his absence after his not guilty plea was accepted.