A CONVICTED killer has been sent back to jail for chasing a man down the street during a 20-minute attack in Alexandria.

Martin Hall, 31, was handed a total of 21 months in prison at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday, February 15.

In 2006 Hall confessed to stabbing James Brown, 47, with a screwdriver in a row over broken windows.

And in November 2017, Hall was jailed for 13 months for attacking a man with a pot to the head.

He was only free for 48 hours before the latest attack - which earned him a 12-month jail term.

And because he had an 'unexpired portion' of that previous sentence still unserved, Hall was told on Friday that he will spend a further nine months behind bars.

He will also be the subject of a 'supervised release order' for a further six months after he's let out of prison.

Last month, Hall pleaded guilty to attacking a man outside and inside businesses in the town’s Main Street on September 19.

The court was told on that occasion that Hall was seen on CCTV walking towards the Bank of Scotland just before 9pm.

As he stopped and sat for a cigarette, another man was walking down the street and passed Hall, who immediately got up.

The man was seen holding his arms out to keep his distance and Hall continued to try to provoke a fight.

The victim approached a taxi and tried to enter it but was prevented. Hall repeatedly threw punches that land on his head and body, and the man repeatedly tries to get away.

Hall followed the man into the Ladbrokes bookmakers where the assault continued, then stopped as CCTV captured them in some sort of conversation.

But Hall was still trying to fight and after a few minutes, the other man left - only to again be pursued by Hall.

The man then went into the waiting area of TOA Taxis and held the door shut.

Hall spent a considerable amount of time trying to gain entry, before police were finally informed.

On Friday, Hall’s lawyer Tom Brown told Sheriff Maxwell Hendry: “I’m not trying to play it down, but fortunately there was no injury, and there was no weapon involved.

"As far as indictment cases are concerned it's not at the very highest. It was a sustained attack done in public.”

Sheriff Hendry replied: “With someone who he was friendly with. One wonders how he would have behaved towards someone with whom he was not friendly."

Mr Brown asked the sheriff to take into account the fact Hall had been in custody since October 1, 2018.

Hall was jailed for 21 months, reduced from 28 because of his early guilty plea, avoiding the need for the victim to have to give evidence at a trial.

Sheriff Hendry said: “You prevented your friend from coming to court and explaining what happened.”

Not guilty pleas were accepted to charges of chasing an unidentified man into the street and causing vehicles to take evasive action, and to kicking and headbutting the door of TOA Taxis, as well as smashing a glass panel with an unknown object.