A 'TORCHING threat' accused is said to have thrown flammable liquid onto a man's face and terrorised him with a lighter.

Sean McAuley, 23, is said to have lay in wait for the alleged victim to finish work in Port Glasgow before attacking him.

Prosecutors say McAuley directed the man to kneel on the ground and repeatedly tried to ignite a lighter after splashing accelerant onto his face and clothing.

He says the allegation is false and has lodged a special defence of alibi at Greenock Sheriff Court.

The Crown says that McAuley was acting with another person — whose identity is meantime unknown — at the time of the alleged incident.

An indictment charge against him alleges that he waited outside the premises of a company on the Port's Gareloch Road before carrying out the claimed assault.

McAuley is said to have repeatedly thrown petrol, or other accelerant, onto the man before allegedly pursuing him and threatening to set him alight.

The charge further alleges that McAuley repeatedly punched and kicked the man on his head, placed an arm around his neck and restrained him.

The Crown says that he assaulted him to injury and danger of life during the alleged incident on April 16 in 2019.

McAuley, of Merino Road in Greenock, has pleaded not guilty at the sheriff court through lawyer David Tod.

Mr Tod said: "Mr McAuley will have an alibi.

"His position is that he wasn't there.

"He says that the complaint made by the complainer is vexatious.

"There is only one witness to this and no CCTV."

The case is due to call for a further pre-trial hearing in July.