A DUMBARTON man who threatened to stab his uncle in a furious row with family members has been warned that he’s likely to spend his life in and out of jail if he doesn’t take help to curb his drinking.

John O’Malley, 38, of Napier Crescent, was jailed for a total of 10 months at the town’s sheriff court after pleading guilty to two charges of threatening or abusive behaviour – one of them aggravated by prejudice relating to a person’s disability.

The first was committed at a property in Risk Street in the town in December, and the second at a property in Napier Crescent on January 24.

Fiscal depute Meghan Glancey told a hearing on Thursday: “On December 19, 2018, police observed the accused lying in the road, struggling to get to his feet.

“Concerned for his welfare, they approached him, but he immediately became aggressive, shouting towards passers-by and police ‘I’ll f*****g stab you’ and ‘you’re a grass’.”

Ms Glancey continued: “At 8pm on January 24, the accused attended his uncle’s house to collect a set of keys from his mother.

“An argument ensued between the accused and various family members and the accused began making threats, including comments such as ‘you’re going to get stabbed tomorrow’ towards his uncle, who contacted police.”

Kenny Clark, defending, said: “He is realistic about what’s likely to happen to him today.

“Pleas were tendered at the intermediate diet stage in this case, and he has been remanded in custody in relation to this new matter since January 25.”

O’Malley was also the subject of a community payback order (CPO) imposed for offences committed in November 2016, and for which, Mr Clark said, he had spent 23 days on remand.

He stole toiletries from the Boots store in Dumbarton’s High Street on November 22, and on the same day shouted, swore, threatened violence and spat at a wall in High Street itself.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry told O’Malley: “Unless and until you are able to deal with the problems alcohol causes in your life, you are going to carry on drinking too much, committing criminal offences and going to prison.

“You will not deal with those problems unless and until you take help and understand what you need to do to conquer them.”

O’Malley was jailed for a total of six months for the December and January incidents.

The CPO imposed for the November offences was revoked and O’Malley was handed a further four months in prison.