A MAN found in the grounds of a former Bellsmyre school threatened to kill the off-duty police officer who rumbled him, a court has heard.

The cop was walking his dogs in the early hours of the morning near the former Aitkenbar Primary School when he spotted a balaclava-clad man in the grounds of a property in Penniecroft Avenue.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard on Friday that after the cop identified himself as an off-duty police officer, the intruder, 37-year-old David McColl, told him: “That’s the worst mistake you could’ve made. I own Bellsmyre.

“I’m going to kill you, I’m going to kill your wife and murder your family and I’m going to shoot your f****** dogs.”

McColl, the court was told, later added: “A cop who lives in Bellsmyre? That won’t last long. I’m going to make sure he f****** gets it.”

McColl, of no fixed abode, appeared for sentencing on Friday after pleading guilty to three separate charges relating to the April 20 incident.

The charges admitted by McColl – who, the court heard, is known by the nickname ‘Bullet’ – included an allegation that he brandished a hammer at police and swung it towards them at the grounds of the former school.

Sarah Healing, prosecuting, told the court the off-duty officer had been walking his dogs at around 4.45am when he saw a man exiting a wooded area and climbing into the grounds of the Penniecroft Avenue property.

After calling his on-duty colleagues, the officer followed the man into Whiteford Avenue, to the site of the former school, and saw him take off the balaclava.

The accused then spotted one of the officer’s dogs, and shouted: “Who’s there?”

The witness at first did not answer, but then McColl approached the witness, who, recognising him, asked: “Is that you, Bullet?”

Ms Healing said: “The witness observed the accused attempting to conceal a hammer within his jacket.

“The officer identified himself as an off-duty police constable and showed his warrant card before telling the accused he should stay where he was.

“The accused then removed his hammer and began brandishing it above his head before threatening the officer with violence.”

Four on-duty officers arrived on the scene but were only able to subdue McColl and take him to a waiting police vehicle after a lengthy struggle and after pulling out their police-issue batons – one of which was used to take McColl’s hand out from under his body after he lay on the ground to try and prevent police applying handcuffs.

Ms Healing said McColl continued with his threats towards the off-duty officer and his family while he was being transported to Clydebank police office to be processed.

McColl also complained: “Youse can’t f****** do me with a hammer while youse have batons. I’ll need it to protect myself from youse.”

He was kept in custody until April 23 when he appeared in court and admitted possessing an offensive weapon, struggling violently with police, and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and was remanded in custody.

McColl’s solicitor, Scott Adair, told Sheriff Simon Pender: “He fully accepts that the only disposal you’re going to impose today is a custodial sentence.”

Solicitor Scott Adair asked Sheriff Simon Pender to take into account his client’s early guilty plea – which, he said, prevented the time and expense of police giving evidence at a trial – and the fact that McColl had not sought bail on his previous appearance.

Sheriff Pender told McColl: “This was a horrendous incident. The police deserve, and must have, the full protection of the courts.

“You have an extremely bad record and you might regard yourself fortunate not to be appearing on an indictment today.”

McColl was jailed for 10 months, backdated to Monday, April 23.