A BELLSMYRE man damaged a church reverend’s car – and his own company car – in a drunken rage.

Declan Dunion, of Howatshaws Road, was heard by neighbours shouting obscenities while topless in the middle of the night.

The procurator fiscal told Dumbarton Sheriff Court that at around 10.50pm on August 23, a witness heard Dunion outside on Howatshaws Road shout “get to f*** you s***. You are nothing but a w*****”.

The neighbour watched Dunion walking down the road continuing to shout and swear.

The fiscal depute said that a different neighbour was out walking his dog when he heard crying. He later saw Dunion standing in the street topless.

As the dog-walker approached his home address, he heard the 25-year-old shout ‘you little s***’, however, he ignored this and entered his property. He later heard Dunion shouting and screaming while noticing he was now holding a plank of wood.

The dog-walker’s partner heard the lout throw around what she believed were wheelie bins and saw he had now brandished a spirit level.

By this time, Reverend John McGinley awoke because of the disturbance outside and noticed his offside wing mirror on his Skoda Fabia, that was parked at St Peter’s Church, was damaged. Police were called and attended Dunion’s address where they noticed a car at the property’s windscreen was smashed and a slab of concrete was sitting on the bonnet.

Dunion continued to act aggressive towards officers on his arrest calling them “thugs” and shouted on route to Greenock police station “you dirty F****n c***”.

The fiscal depute confirmed to the sheriff at the hearing on April 25 that Dunion has arranged to pay for the damage of the minister’s car.

His defence solicitor Scott Adair said: “It won’t be the first or the last time that alcohol is the route of the problem. He was using alcohol as a crutch. He has repaid for the damage of the company car.”

Addressing Dunion Sheriff John Hamilton said: “The court takes a serious view of this. Albeit you were in difficult circumstances, but it is deeply unpleasant and anti-social.”

The sheriff placed Dunion on a community payback order for 12 months under social work supervision and ordered him to do 200 hours of unpaid work.