A MAN who turned up at his ex's home in Dumbarton armed with a machete left her terrified when he used the weapon to batter at her front door.

Steven Fletcher later tried to tell social workers that his crime had had no serious impact on the woman.

The 32-year-old was jailed for two years when he appeared at the town's sheriff court.

Fletcher had previously pleaded guilty to carrying out the terrifying attack earlier this year while the country was still in lockdown from the pandemic.

He turned up at the property in Dumbarton on May 28 and shouted, swore and uttered degoratory remarks towards his ex, placing her in a state of alarm.

He also maliciously kicked her door and struck it with the weapon.

Fletcher also admitted being in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

The offences were aggravated because they involved a crime against a partner or ex-partner.

The seriousness of his offending was made even worse because they were committed while he was the subject of a bail order which had been made on February 5.

Fletcher was brought back to Dumbarton Sheriff Court on September 2 to be sentenced after background reports were ordered on his previous appearance.

Defence solicitor Gail Campbell said her client, listed in court papers as an inmate at Greenock prison, had been "full and frank" with the social worker who had met him to prepare for the report, and that he expected to be jailed.

She added that he could not take back what he had done but "only apologise".

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said his eyebrow had been raised at Fletcher's statement to the social worker that the crime left no serious long term effects on the victim.

Ms Campbell continued: "His previous convictions do him no credit. He knows there's a problem with alcohol.

"When he is not drinking, he has a very good job and his employers always think highly of him.

"He is told he will have a job on his release from custody.

"He has talent and he has ability but what he also has is an addiction to alcohol."

Sheriff Hendry told Fletcher that if he continued to offend, prison would likely be the only outcome.

The two-year jail term was backdated to May 29, though Fletcher will be supervised for a further 12 months after he is released from prison.