A MAN has pleaded guilty to sectarian abuse of two men in one of the first prosecutions under the Hate Crime Act.

Alan Fotheringham, 43, uttered threatening, abusive, sectarian and obscene remarks to two parking wardens last month.

The incident happened on April 18 at a car park just down from Fotheringham's home in Mugdock Road, Milngavie.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court on May 28, he pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear and alarm, contrary to the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.

READ NEXT: Glasgow man attacked stepson after 'smelling cannabis in the house'

And the offence was also against section 1 of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 and was "aggravated by prejudice relating to religion or in the case of social or cultural group perceived religious affiliation".

The man was on bail at the time, and the court heard he was also currently on a Community Payback Order.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry deferred sentence until July for a social enquiry report and restriction of liberty order assessment.