A MAN has claimed he wasn’t being serious when he threatened to kill a schoolgirl.

William Westwater, 56, admitted striking his young victim on the face with a Christmas card and seizing her by the ear, but explained that his verbal threat was only made in the heat of the moment.

The accused told Glasgow Sheriff Court that people say it all the time, noting: “It doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.”

Fiscal depute Marie McCue stated that the girl – who cannot be identified due to legal reasons – went to Silverburn Shopping Centre at around 2.40pm to meet Westwater but returned home when he wasn’t there. She then made further arrangements and met up with the accused later on at 4.20pm.

Westwater’s lawyer disputed the Crown’s narrative, claiming that the victim was an hour-and-a-half late which put his client into a “foul temper”.

Ms McCue stated that the accused shouted at the girl, hit her on the face with a card and seized her by the ear.

He also screamed: “I’ll f****** kill you.”

Members of the public witnessed the outburst and the police were called.

When cautioned by officers, Westwater exclaimed: “Oh my god. I was only giving her a telling off.”

The incident happened on December 14, 2017.

In defence it was claimed that Westwater and the girl have reconciled.

The accused was labelled by his lawyer as “a bit of a dinosaur”, to which Sheriff Lindsey Wood agreed: “He’s no youngster.”

The incident was captured on CCTV and was described as “not quite a bad watch” – implying it sounded worse than how it looked. The lawyer also claimed that Westwater merely “tapped” the girl on the face with the greeting card and did not tug on her ear.

Sheriff Wood stated that Westwater was “no angel” and that his criminal record ‘told him a lot’, noting past domestic abuse, drugs and assault offences. He was also branded a “dishonest man” who breaks into houses.

About the Silverburn incident, Sheriff Wood said: “You can’t do that.”

The accused replied: “I understand that now.”

Westwater, of Carleith Quadrant, was fined £666.