A MAN who threatened to kill and slash police officers while brandishing two long kitchen knives at them has narrowly been spared a prison sentence.

Officers had to take protective armoured shields with them when they entered Stephen Gilmour’s flat in Whiteford Avenue in Bellsmyre last December.

The 38-year-old appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court after pleading guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner outside his top floor flat on December 19, 2017.

Prosecutor Ian Meacock told the court: “At 9pm police were called to a disturbance at Whiteford Avenue.

“They found the accused agitated and under the influence of alcohol. A large kitchen knife was on the floor of a bedroom.

“Police left, but were called back again at 9.45pm when the disturbance had erupted again.

“He was standing on the balcony shouting ‘I’m going to kill someone and I’m going to slash you’

“He was holding a large kitchen knife in each hand. He wouldn’t put the knives down, until someone in the flats persuaded him to do so.

“Police arrived with armoured shields and went into the flat.

“Gilmour was so intoxicated he fell to the floor and was handcuffed.

“En route to Clydebank police office he again threatened to kill and slash officers.”

Brian McGuire, defending, said: “Alcohol had been taken that day after he had been joined at his flat by a person he didn’t know particuarly well.

“An argument blew up and the other person pulled out a meat cleaver.“He is now in employment and I would say there is an alternative to custody with a community payback order [CPO].

“His underlying difficulty is alcohol.”

Sheriff Moira Mackenzie told Gilmour: “This was disgraceful conduct and the court would be fully entitled to impose a custodial sentence.

“But having listened to your solicitor I am persuaded, only just, not to impose custody.”

Gilmour was put on a CPO which will require him to do 250 hours of unpaid work – reduced from the maximum 300 because of his guilty plea – and be under social workers’ supervision for 12 months.

He was also given a ‘restriction of liberty order’ requiring him to stay at home between 10pm and 6am every night for three months.