A Cumnock man has been jailed for 18 months after admitting an axe attack that injured another man in Ayr, along with threatening behaviour in George Square.
Adrian McGhee, 49, pleaded guilty to assault to injury, possessing an offensive weapon and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner. He appeared from custody at Ayr Sheriff Court for a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday, August 19.
What the court heard
The court heard that McGhee caused fear and alarm in Ayr’s George Square on March 26 by shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and pursuing another man named in the charge.
In a separate incident on April 17, he admitted striking another man on the body with an axe, causing injury. He also admitted possessing the axe without reasonable excuse or lawful authority.
McGhee was represented by defence solicitor Robert Logan. At the time of the hearing, he was an inmate at HMP Kilmarnock.
Previous court case
The case follows an earlier incident in Cumnock, which was previously reported as involving McGhee holding three people hostage in a house while threatening them.
Sheriff Siobhan Connelly sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment, backdated to April 20, when he was remanded.
Court papers stated that McGhee had been released on bail at Ayr Sheriff Court on two occasions on November 24, 2025, and again on January 14, 2026.
The report said the proceedings took place at Ayr Sheriff Court. The source material contains conflicting dates in its account of the hearing, bail history and the reference to events occurring “this year”.
