GALASHIELS MAN SET FIRE TO PAVEMENT AND CAR ON KING STREET
A tyre fitter who issued threats to burn down his former partner’s residence in Galashiels after being asked to leave and subsequently set fire to the sidewalk outside has been sentenced to perform 200 hours of unpaid community service as a substitute for jail and ordered to pay her £1,000 in damages.Ryan Headspeath also pleaded guilty to pushing the woman and repeatedly hitting the roof of a vehicle, which was later found with a shattered windscreen and a petrol odor.
At Selkirk Sheriff Court, it was revealed that the 33-year-old resident of Duke Street in Galashiels had been invited back to the Pirns property to continue drinking with several others after an encounter with his ex at Reivers Sports Bar on September 7th last year.
The gathering was initially amicable, but the mood shifted when Headspeath started making insulting remarks about their previous relationship, and he was asked to leave.
According to court reports, he then returned to the window, demanding his wallet, keys, and phone, and warned, "You've got 20 f***ing seconds or I'll burn your house down." Defense solicitor Ross Dow commented that his client felt genuine shame and remorse over his actions and had limited his alcohol consumption since the incident.
He explained that the couple had been together for four years and maintained a good relationship at that time.
Headspeath was convicted of assault, threatening behaviour, and property damage, and in addition to the community service and compensation, he was issued a Non-Harassment Order preventing him from approaching the woman, contacting her, or entering King Street in Galashiels for five years.
