A FARMER was was fined #450 yesterday for taking two huge horses

inside a court.

The two shires, each weighing around a ton, caused an uproar as Mr

Jimmy Wilson led them through the plate glass doors and across the

marble foyer at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

Security men and police were not amused as George, the stallion, and

King, a mare, did their business on the floor.

Mr Wilson told the same court yesterday that the horses were his key

witnesses in a civil case which was later dismissed.

Yesterday, Sheriff Alexander Eccles found Mr Wilson, 53, guilty of

breach of the peace at the court on November 24 last year. Mr Wilson, of

Kenmuir Farm, Mount Vernon, Glasgow, defended himself.

Security men and police told Mr Martin Spevack, prosecuting that there

was a commotion when Mr Wilson led his two large horses across the

marble hall towards the front desk at 2pm that day.

Press cameras were flashing and they were concerned for the safety of

the public, who were entering the building at the time.

Security man John McNeill, 40, said the accused was shouting: ''You

can't hold us back. I want in,'' as he led the horses towards the front

desk.

The horses were beginning to ''stamp around'' as the cameras flashed.

Asked by Mr Spevack how big the horses were, he said: ''I'm five feet

eleven inches and they were bigger than me.''

The court heard the horses were led out by police and security men and

tethered to a rail outside the building. But not before they had left a

lot of evidence about their presence behind on the polished floors and

carpets.

In his evidence, Mr Wilson told the court he was due in court to

contest a council order trying to force him to keep his horses and other

livestock off neighbouring land.

''They said about 40 of my horses were involved but I have only George

and King and I wanted the sheriff to see them to prove it,'' he said.

Questioned by Mr Spevack about the danger to the public, the accused

said his two horses were so gentle that children played with them. ''I

take them to let handicapped children see them and the kids play between

the horses' feet,'' he said.

Mr WilsonMr Wilson Asked if it would not have been more sensible to

leave the horses outside and let the sheriff come out to see them, Mr

Wilson said : ''I really didn't think that way.''

Outside court, Mr Wilson said he was now preparing for another court

battle after raising a #12.9m action against the Scottish Office.

Mr Wilson demolished many of the old Glasgow tenements, stock-piled

thousands of tons of the valuable red and grey sandstone on his land,

and claims huge quantities were taken without his knowledge to use on

the M74 construction.

The case is expected to be heard at Glasgow Sheriff Court.