A PORT man previously jailed for telling police he'd stabbed three people to death warned doctors that he was going to attack his mother.

James McAllister made the menacing comment within Inverclyde Royal Hospital after he was found with a self-inflicted injury at a cemetery.

He has over 30 previous convictions but has avoided a further prison term for the hospital outburst.

Procurator fiscal Ziad Ul Hassan told Greenock Sheriff Court: "The accused stated, 'I'm going to go home and slit my throat and attack my mum'.

"A doctor deemed him fit to be discharged into police custody.

"He continued to make these threats and was eventually arrested and taken to the police office."

McAllister, 34, of Bardrainney Avenue, was jailed last year after telling police that he'd murdered three people at the Star Hotel in Port Glasgow.

He had earlier phoned a senior social worker and told her that he was going to 'chop people up'.

Defence lawyer David Tod said: "He has difficulties but it is accepted that these are exacerbated by drink.

"The social work department are still working with him and he sees supervision as a benefit to him."

Mr Tod added: "He thought he had cancer and a biopsy confirmed that he didn't.

"However, it had weighed heavily on his mind."

Sheriff Andrew McIntyre placed McAllister under supervision for 18 months and ordered him to attend drug and alcohol counselling sessions.

He said: "What hasn't stopped is your offending and if there is further offending a line will have to be drawn.

"There will be a review of matters and if it is not clear that there has been real improvement I will bring this to an end and there will be a real prospect of prison."

The case is due to call again in court on Wednesday.