A MAUCHLINE teenager performed a drive-by at his old school - pulling out a gun and brandishing it at Auchinleck Adacemy pupils as he cruised past in his car.

Dean Spittal, 18, is facing up to a year behind bars for the stunt, which he carried out on April 22 this year.

He drove by Auchinleck Academy while armed with a fake gun - in full view of kids who go to the Sorn Road school.

Spittal, of Welton Road, Mauchline, admitted his guilt when he appeared in the dock at a pre-trial hearing at Ayr Sheriff Court this week.

He struck a deal with prosecutors which saw claims he fired the gun at pupils, spraying pellets in their direction, deleted from the charge.

His lawyer, Steven Maxwell, told the court: “The complaint [showing the charge] will be amended by the Crown, essentially deleting, on line five, ‘fire pellets from said imitation firearm towards said schoolchildren’ and Mr Spittal will plead guilty in those terms.”

He then pleaded guilty to a charge which stated, “you did, whilst driving a motor vehicle, conduct yourself in a disorderly manner, brandish an imitation firearm at schoolchildren there and commit a beach of the peace.”

Sheriff Carole Cunningham called for background reports ahead of sentencing and adjourned the case until the new year.

As she did so, she said: “Sentence will be deferred for the court to obtain a Criminal Justice Social Work Report and you’ll be ordained to appear.”

As Sheriff Cunningham called for a background report, Procurator Fiscal Depute Scott Toal, prosecuting, did not narrate the facts of the case and Mr Maxwell opted to explain why Spittal committed the offence on the next occasion.

Spittal looked towards a pal, smirked and stifled laughter as he left the courtroom after admitting his criminal behaviour.

It is the second time in five years there has been a shooting incident involving pupils from Auchinleck Academy.

In February 2011, eleven youngsters were shot with an airgun one lunchtime.

The youngsters – most of them pupils from Auchinleck Academy – were targeted over a 25-minute period before reports of the shootings reached the school and police were called.

Five girls and six boys, all aged between 12 and 16, were hit as the gunmen, who had their faces hidden with hoods and scarves, laughed while they fired their weapon indiscriminately on several residential streets.

Five of the victims were taken to hospital and one girl was detained for further treatment to a back injury.

Police at the time confirmed that two teenagers – aged 18 and 15 – were in custody in connection with the incident.

One of the victims, a boy who was 13 at the time, said he was shot in the back without warning as he walked with friends near the school during his lunch hour.

He said: “I was walking down the street with my pals and I felt the impact in my back, but thankfully I had a big jacket on so it didn’t penetrate and hurt me too much.”

A female victim, who was 14 at the time, said: “I was in the town getting some lunch before walking back up to school and I felt something hit me really hard in the leg.

“I turned round and there was a guy lying on the ground behind the bush like a sniper just shooting at kids.

“We ran away as fast as we could. It was really, really scary. The guy shooting was just laughing.”

All the injured pupils were hit in the legs or torso and suffered bruising.