Man pulled gun during row over girl's chips

Passers-by were shocked to see John Lindsay aiming the weapon at the youngster’s dad. However, the ball bearing gun wasn’t loaded and no one was injured.

Lindsay (36), of Kirk Street, Motherwell, was sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court. He admitted producing the gun with intent to frighten John Hunter in Bellshill Road, Motherwell, on September 2.

The incident happened after the girl told her dad a man in a green jacket had grabbed chips she had just bought from a take away.

Mr Hunter went looking for the culprit and when he found a man who fitted the description there was a scuffle.

Lindsay intervened, producing a black gun and pointing it at Mr Hunter’s chest. This was witnessed by drivers in traffic near the Logans Road level crossing. A police car was in the queue and officers were soon on the scene.

They arrived to find Lindsay and Mr Hunter arguing. Officers searched Lindsay and found the gun in his trousers.

Defence agent Diarmid Bruce said his client had been shooting at empty cans earlier. Mr Bruce added: “This was something out of nothing. He had been drinking and went to help his friend, thinking he was going to be assaulted.”

However, Sheriff Vincent Smith told Lindsay, who has convictions for assault and having knives, that pointing a gun was a serious matter.