THE son of Rangers legend Ally McCoist walked free from court this week after he left a man with brain injuries in a horror road smash in Bishopton.
Argyll McCoist was warned last month that he faced jail for mowing down 21-year-old Stephan Murdoch at a pedestrian crossing in his £20,000 Audi.
But he was spared a prison term when he appeared before Sheriff Colin Pettigrew at Paisley Sheriff Court on Monday.
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The uninsured 20-year-old ran a red light and left his victim with a fractured skull, a brain bleed and a broken leg after ploughing into him at the crossing in December 2016.
McCoist appeared in the dock for sentencing after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving without insurance.
Ally McCoist also attended court to support his son.
Mr Murdoch spent a week in hospital and six months on crutches after the accident.
He still has leg pain, memory and sight problems.
A sheriff placed McCoist on a community payback order, telling him to do unpaid work in the community, and placed him on a restriction of liberty order which will see him electronically tagged and effectively under house arrest.
The son of the Rangers legend was blasted by Sheriff Pettigrew for his “reckless” and “immature” behaviour – then said he could not jail him because parliament forbids it.
He pointed out that sentencing guildelines state that criminals under the age of 21 should only be jailed if there is no other alternative available and said as an alternative was present, he could not jail McCoist.
Ally McCoist both played for and managed the Ibrox side
Sheriff Pettigrew said: “Provided you are agreeable I propose to make, as a direct alternative to a custodial sentence, a restriction of liberty order for a period of six months from today.
“You will be restricted in your freedom to go where you please. You will require to wear a tagging device upon your ankle.
“You will be restricted to remain within your home between the hours of 8pm and 5.30am.
“This means that you must remain within your address each and every evening from 8:00pm until 5:30am the next morning.
“If you leave your home during those hours you will be in breach of the order.”
He also banned McCoist from driving for 42 months, reduced from 48 months as he admitted his guilt, and warned him he could still be jailed if he breaches the orders, adding: “It would be open to me to impose a custodial sentence.
“A Community Payback order is not a soft option.
“The hours of unpaid work will afford you an opportunity of making recompense for your behaviour and of contributing to society as part of the penalty for your offending.”
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McCoist sobbed at Paisley Sheriff Court last month as it was heard he hit Stephan in his uninsured £20,000 Audi in Bishopton, Renfrewshire.
He admitted driving without insurance and causing serious injury by driving dangerously.
McCoist was convicted at Paisley Justice of the Peace Court last year of driving without insurance in Florish Road, Erskine, in July 2016.
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