AN ANTI-LOCKDOWN protester has been warned he'll be sent to jail if he fails to comply with his court punishment for resisting arrest during a demonstration in Ayr.

Christopher White was spared a prison term and told he could carry out ‘light duties’ as his unpaid work sentence - after telling social workers he would not consent to the assessment needed for an electronic tag.

White, 38, was sentenced at the town's sheriff court last week after being found guilty of resisting arrest during a protest in Wellington Square on January 29, 2022.

White denied the offence, claiming police assaulted him during the incident.

But he was found guilty at a trial of resisting, obstructing or hindering two police officers at the scene - struggling violently with them, and repeatedly lashing out with his arms and legs.

The Advertiser reported at the time how several demonstrators were detained after a self-styled ‘freedom march’ in the square, organised by the Scotland Against Lockdown group.  

Police said six men, then aged 20, 37, 48, 40 and two aged 29, along with a 39-year-old woman, were either arrested or made the subject of reports to the procurator fiscal.

White, who represented himself, returned to court for sentencing last week after a social work report was ordered following the guilty verdict.

At the hearing on July 21, Sheriff Diane Turner said: "There are obviously a number of sentencing options for me in the [social work] report.

"It says you're not willing to comply with a restriction of liberty order assessment and are not willing to comply with unpaid work in the community."

After saying he would not be able to comply with 'hard labour', Sheriff Turner told White: "You don't get to pick and choose. If you have medical concerns, you can accept light duties."

After White, of Portcheek Terrace, Kirkmichael, agreed he would carry those out, Sheriff Turner said: "In the circumstances, I intend to make you subject to a community payback order. You will undertake a period of supervision for six months.

"You will be required to undertake officially focused, managed work under direction – 120 hours of unpaid work in the community, as an alternative to custody. 

"You should understand this is a direct alternative to custody. If you breach the order, or fail to engage, you will be sent back to court.

"If there is any suggestion it has been due to a failure to co-operate, I will have no hesitation in sending you to custody."