A DUMBARTON man has come “astonishingly close” to being jailed after a foul-mouthed outburst at police officers who were called to a report of a disturbance in Alexandria.

James Marshall was handed a community-based sentence after his solicitor argued that his client’s alcohol problems would not be properly tackled while in prison.

Marshall, 36, had pleaded guilty at a previous court hearing to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards police in Bridge Street on Tuesday, February 7.

At his sentencing on Thursday, fiscal depute David McDonald said police officers had spotted Marshall “clearly intoxicated” when they went to investigate an anonymous tip-off about a row in the area.

Mr McDonald said: “He was extremely unsteady on his feet and appeared to have soiled himself.

“He provided his name but refused to give any other details; they asked him where he had come from and he replied ‘f*** off, c***s’.”

Police twice told Marshall to desist, and after a witness to the disturbance told officers Marshall had been involved in the row, they asked him to explain why he had been identified – to which he replied: “You two c***s can go and take a f*** to yourselves.”

Marshall’s solicitor, Kenny Clark, said his client was “embarrassed and genuinely remorseful” at his “drunken, unpalatable behaviour”.

Mr Clark told the court his client sought solace in alcohol in response to feelings of loneliness, isolation and depression, but said: “He presents as a model of civility and courtesy – when he is sober.”

Marshall, Mr Clark said, had taken various steps to tackle his difficulties, including medication, self-referral to an alcohol clinic and attendance at the area’s community addiction team.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry observed that Marshall was currently carrying out a community payback order – the fourth such order imposed on him since he began offending – and said: “He has not served a custodial sentence previously, but he’s very close to that.”

Mr Clark replied: “The services offered to short-term prisoners are fairly limited.

“My position would be that the general public interest would be better served if his problems are dealt with in an appropriate way.”

Sheriff Hendry said: “I’m very much betwixt and between a custodial sentence and yet another community-based sentence.”

Turning to address Maxwell directly, the sheriff said: “Your schedule of previous offences suggests you have been committing criminal offences for at least 11 years.

“You are, today, astonishingly close to being sent to prison.

“One more offence committed after today is going to lead to a custodial sentence.

“The next time you look at alcohol, you need to think about what is more important to you – that alcohol, or your liberty.”

Sheriff Hendry placed Marshall under the supervision of social workers for the next 18 months, and ordered him to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work within nine months.

Marshall was also handed a ‘restriction of liberty order’, which will confine him to his home address in Dumbarton’s Park Street between the hours of 7pm and 7am every day for the next six months.