A VALE man who was repeatedly caught with blades in public places has been told he would be dead if he hadn’t been arrested by police.

Andrew Devenney, of Heather Avenue in Alexandria, has now been locked up for years after attempts to get him to change his ways while still part of the community failed.

Earlier this year, Devenney pleaded guilty to having the blades hidden in his boxers in January.

But those charges followed previous ones from 2019 where he also had a weapon in the streets and made threats to others.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week, Devenney was told it was in his own best interests that he had been arrested.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry told him: “If you had not been taken into custody for this matter, you would have died before now one way or another.”

Police saw Devenney unsteady on his feet on January 15 in Park Road, Clydebank.

When they checked on him, Devenney kept his hands in his pockets, prompting a search.

Officers pulled his hands out and found two knives in his boxer shorts and a Stanley knife blade.

Devenney then twice gave false details, claiming to be a resident of Drumchapel but actually living in Heather Avenue in Rosshead before he was released.

The next day, Devenney was stopped in Union Street, Glasgow, and was seen fidgeting with his groin area.

Police found a pair of nail scissors. The spring had been removed, adapting it into a weapon.

In April, he pleaded guilty to three charges of having weapons and two of providing false details.

At court on July 2, his solicitor, Phil Lafferty admitted there was not much that could be said in mitigation.

He said: “I don’t intend to minimise these offences.

"From the outset he fully expects a custodial sentence and is wise enough to know it will be a significant sentence.

“There is almost a sense of relief that his utterly chaotic life might have some measure of stability.”

Last year Devenney admitted chasing a complete stranger through the streets of Dalmuir with a knife.

At the time Sheriff Hendry, noting Devenney had already spent a significant amount of time in custody, gave him a community payback order.

He was put under social work supervision for two years and given the maximum of 300 hours of unpaid work. He also had a curfew for four months.

Devenney later broke that CPO and has now been jailed for the 2019 offences as well.

In total, Devenney will be locked up for 40 months, backdated to January 18.

After he’s let out, he will be supervised for 12 months as a “safety net”, said Sheriff Hendry.