A CLYDEBANK man who was caught with a knife in his car hadn’t told his parents before he got sentenced for the crime last week.

Ryan Smith, of East Barns Street, Whitecrook, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court for possession of the 5cm lock knife in a vehicle on May 24, 2019.

Police had stopped the 22-year-old around 9.30pm in Dumbarton Road, Clydebank, and Smith told them he used the knife for camping and he left it in the car by mistake.

His defence solicitor said the electrician was a first offender and fully appreciated the situation he found himself in.

She said: “He has been extremely stupid and he acknowledges that. He made a mistake and a costly one.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry pointed to part of a social work report that said Smith had “chosen not to tell his parents”.

Smith’s solicitor said he was “deeply ashamed” and had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

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The sheriff said: “The ready availability of a knife is what can end up at the High Court with a charge of murder.”

Smith was ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the community within four months.