A BALLOCH man named as the victim of a shooting in the town just before Christmas has been warned he could face a prison sentence if he doesn’t do better on a court-imposed punishment.

Darren McCafferty was identified locally as the victim of what police described as a “targeted attack” near his home in Lynn Walk on December 20.

The 31-year-old was in court on Friday for a review of a community-based sentence imposed after he admitted shouting, swearing and threatening violence in nearby Balloch Road in 2017.

His solicitor, Kenny McGowan, told Dumbarton Sheriff Court that McCafferty had been “struggling recently” to comply with a community payback order imposed for that offence.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry told Mr McGowan he was “alert to the circumstances” of what had happened to McCafferty recently.

Mr McGowan replied: “Prior to those events concerns had been raised about his engagement [with the order].

“Now, more than ever, is the time he could benefit from engaging with the services attempting to help him.”

Sheriff Hendry told McCafferty: “We live in a strange world – and you know that better than most at the moment – where there is violence, where there are drugs and where there is crime.

“We also live in a world where there are people who want to help.

“You might be surprised to hear me say this, but you are in a fortunate position, in that you are the subject of a community payback order, with a supervising officer who is trying to help you, and who is trying to put you in touch with other people who want to help you.

“The issue is whether you want to engage with that help.

“A sentence in the review report says that your engagement has been ‘superficial’. If your engagement remains superficial, I will need to look again at whether to deal with you in a more traditional way.”

Stuart McGinley, 31, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on January 3 in connection with December’s incident.

He is charged with having a firearm in a public place, with assault to severe injury and the danger of life, and with attempted murder.

He made no plea and was released on bail.

Emergency services were called to Lynn Walk in the Dalvait estate after the incident at around 7pm on December 20.

McCafferty was taken to hospital reportedly suffering from serious injuries, but was released later after treatment.

McCafferty’s criminal record also includes a conviction from earlier in 2017 when he admitted threatening to shoot his former lover in the face and being in possession of a kitchen knife in a public place.