A RENTON man who caused malicious damage to a property which was undergoing renovation in nearby Dumbarton has been spared a prison sentence.

Sean Lough was found at North Lodge in Renton Road by a plumber who was called to the property on February 3 to investigate reports of water damage inside.

Prosecutor David McDonald told Dumbarton Sheriff Court on December 22: “Police were contacted about the locus being insecure, with water damage within.

“On their arrival they were met by a plumber who said he had been asked to attend and that an unknown male, who had entered the property by barging past him, was still inside.

“Police entered and found the accused exiting a bedroom within the property.

“He was informed that he was being detained. While under caution he stated that he was a building contractor and had attended the locus on foot to drop off tools for various builders to carry out work. No tools were found within the locus.”

Mr McDonald said police had searched the room Lough had been seen leaving and recovered an identity card bearing his name and a mobile phone.

He said the damage to the six-bedroomed detached property, which was the subject of proceedings under the Crown Office's civil recovery unit at the time, was estimated at around £8,000.

Lough, the court was told, had no connection with the property, although pyjamas and a toothbrush had also been found within the building.

Lough, 27 had admitted the offence at an earlier hearing, when background reports were requested.

He appeared last week for sentencing both on that matter and on charges of stealing soft drinks and alcohol from the Costcutter store in Alexandria's Beechwood Drive on February 10, 12 and 13.

In addition Lough had also pleaded guilty to shouting, swearing and repeatedly uttering threats of violence at the same store on February 13.

Mr McDonald told the court that the soft drinks Lough had stolen had a combined value of £1.39.

“At 2.30pm on February 13 the accused entered the store and was told he was not welcome due to the previous incidents,” Mr McDonald said.

“The accused became agitated at this, made his way to the alcohol section of the store, picked up a bottle of Blue WKD and made his way to the exit without paying for it.”

A witness who had been talking to a staff member on the phone had heard shouting on the other end of the phone line, and when that witness went to the store in person they found the staff member “shaken and upset”.

At 6.20pm that day Lough returned to the store, where staff members tried to talk to him about his earlier behaviour, but Lough again became agitated and shouted “I'm going to kick your head in” and “take another step down and I'll do you”.

On the North Lodge incident Lough's solicitor, Ms Crilly, said her client had been unable to offer an explanation for his presence there.

On both matters she referred at length to her client's mental health issues, saying that those reflected difficulties in his personal life which had arisen in January and that he had “spiralled into drinking, smoking cannabis and refusing to take his medication”.

“He is now engaging much better with his GP,” Ms Crilly added.

“He is under no illusion as to the seriousness of the offences. He didn't mean to create the disasters he left behind but accepts fully that he has to be held responsible.”

Sheriff Colin McKay said: “I was seriously considering a custodial sentence, but the very detailed psychiatric report makes it quite clear that you have genuine issues and it's not some kind of made-up story.

“On the other hand you plainly aggravated the situation by your use of alcohol. But I'm persuaded that it's inappropriate to impose a custodial sentence.”

Lough, of Main Street in Renton, was handed a community payback order under which he will be on supervision for two years and will have to do 150 hours of unpaid work within nine months.

He was also handed a curfew under which he will be confined to his home address between 7pm and 7am for the next three months.