A MAN used a bunch of flowers to launch an unprovoked attack on a teenage girl in the centre of Helensburgh.

Ryan Best, 30, also punched the 15-year-old and assaulted two other teenagers in the town centre .

All the victims were complete strangers - and all three are now set to receive hundreds of pounds in compensation for their ordeal.

The incident started around 7.15pm on March 23, 2022, when the teenagers were outside the Co-operative Food store in Sinclair Street.

Best, who was unknown to any of the youths, was with an acquaintance and engaged in conversation with the teenagers which then "turned sour".

Fiscal depute Euan Nicholson told Dumbarton Sheriff Court: "He had a bunch of flowers in his possession which he struck the complainer with and called her a 'sl*t' and other abusive remarks for no apparent reason.

"The accused and his acquaintance then left.

"However, a matter of minutes later, they returned and again engaged with the teenagers.

"At this point, he grabbed the girl by the top of her hair with his hand and threw her to the [ground] before punching her four times to the side of her face."

Even as he did this, Best said: "I have never hit a girl."

He then approached a second teenager, aged 15, and pushed him to the ground and repeatedly kicked him while he was down.

Best then went down the road, passing a third teenager, aged 14, and said: "What are you going to do?"

He then slapped him to the side of the face, causing his glasses to come off.

The incident ended when a passer-by approached and saw the girl on the ground crying. They went up and separated the attacker from the accused.

Police arrived soon after but Best, of Alexandria, had already left the scene.

Best, previously of Gaitskell Avenue and now of Brooklands, pleaded guilty to three charges of assault just before he was due to go to trial.

When he returned to court for sentencing, his defence solicitor admitted: "It's a bad sequence of events. He cannot remember anything about it.

"He is a hard-working man, and a contrite man. He has no understanding of why this happened.

"He does not suffer from any drink problems, but this was drink-fuelled.

"He never wants to ingest this amount of alcohol again."

Sheriff Shirley McKenna said: "You have exhibited behaviour that would cause fear and alarm against three children.

"You have shown remorse and are assessed as a low risk of reoffending."

She fined him £810, plus a £40 victim surcharge.

In addition, Best was ordered to pay £500 in compensation to each of his three victims.