A Fife man grabbed a 12-year-old girl’s hand at a park and said he liked long nails for back massages, before telling her he is “not a beast”.
Bryan Gourlay, 39, had already shouted racist comments about a lottery ticket in earshot of children.
He then grabbed the girl and made inappropriate comments to her, before trying to do tricks on a child’s scooter.
Fiscal depute Lee-Anne Hannan said: “The exact locus is the Gallatown park behind the grocery store.
“On the date libelled, a number of young people had been in attendance at the Bike Hub.
“The accused entered the park.
“He began shouting about a lottery ticket he had bought, stating he had been overcharged.”
Gourlay then called the shopkeeper a “P*ki b*****d” and was heard doing so by at least three children.
He appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to admit acting in a threatening or abusive manner at Gallatown playpark in Kirkcaldy.
“I’m not a beast”
He then approached a group of children and grabbed the 12-year-old girl to look at her nails.
The girl cannot be named for legal reasons.
Gourlay told her he “liked long nails for back scratches and back massages” but she was too young.
He then stated: “I’m not a beast.”
At this point, one of the other children ran to the Bike Hub to get an adult and the police were contacted.
Gourlay admitted acting in a manner “likely to cause fear or alarm” twice on July 8 last year.
He pled guilty to shouting, swearing and shouting racially offensive remarks, as well as to seizing a child and uttering inappropriate remarks to her.
PTSD after assault
Gourlay’s solicitor David Bell said: “This is rather bizarre behaviour.
“He was then seen at one point to be using one of the witness’s scooters and trying to do tricks on it.
“He was having something of an episode.”
Mr Bell explained that two decades ago, Gourlay was the victim of a “very serious” assault and sustained a head injury.
“He thinks he has some form of PTSD.
“This incident has not been followed up by any other similar behaviour or episodes.”
He said Gourlay, of Earn Road in Kirkcaldy, was remorseful.
Sheriff Francis Gill said the episode would have been “particularly frightening” for the girl he grabbed.
He said: “Your behaviour last July was totally unacceptable.”
The sheriff deferred sentence until September 20 for Gourlay to be of good behaviour.
