A THUG who carried out a drunken and violent attack on three people, including a 15-year-old boy, in Alexandria will spend the next six and a half years behind bars.

Kevin Dunion grabbed his young victim by the neck, pinned him against a wall and held a blade to his face in the terrifying assault earlier this year.

The 26-year-old also punched a woman on the head and grabbed hold of a man before head-butting him and trying to pull him down a flight of stairs.

Dunion received a 30-month jail term for the attacks, which took place at and near Alexander Street on April 25.

But a court hearing was told that Dunion had carried out the vicious assault while out on licence from a previous prison sentence - and that his recall on that matter means he isn’t due to be released from jail until February 2026.

Dunion appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court for sentencing on Thursday after pleading guilty to three charges of assault to injury at an earlier hearing in August.

The charge relating to the assault on the 15-year-old boy stated that at the rear of the property, Dunion “did seize him by the neck, pin him against a wall there and hold a knife or similar instrument against his face, all to his injury”.

Sentence on Dunion had been deferred to await background reports from a social worker and a psychiatrist.

Defence solicitor Michael Gallen told Sheriff William Gallacher: “In my submission [the psychiatric report] offers an explanation and insight into this man’s difficulties.

“It makes for fairly depressing reading, particularly in relation to his childhood experiences and how they have impacted into his adult life.

“He accepts his responsibility for his involvement in this.

“He had taken alcohol, and the report makes clear the particular difficulty that presents for him.

“While there is no doubt it was a terrifying experience for the complainer and his friends, fortunately there was no lasting injury sustained.”

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Mr Gallen told the court that Dunion had previously received a sentence of four years and two months in jail, plus a five-year “extended sentence”, or period on licence, in 2014, for a separate matter, and a further six months behind bars in August 2015 - a total prison sentence running to February 2021.

But having been subject to automatic early release on licence, Dunion was then recalled to custody the day after the Alexandria attack.

And under provisions for punishing criminals who offend on early release, a further five-year jail term was imposed.

Sentencing Dunion, Sheriff Gallacher said: “Your behaviour was utterly reprehensible. You simply felt you wanted to engage in something another young person was involved in.

“You have a record which shows disregard for people over years, with significant penalties.

“You are going to be in custody for other things, which has an impact on what I can do.

“My sentence doesn’t indicate disregard to the persons named in the indictment, nor minimise the impact on them.

“I can do nothing else but identify the offences before me and record them on your record.”

Dunion was handed a 30-month jail term for the assault on the 15-year-old boy, and 12-month sentences for each of the other assaults, with all three to run concurrently to each other - and to the term he is currently serving.