A MULTIPLE offender who shouted sectarian abuse during an incident in Port Glasgow had 'lost family members during the Troubles' in Northern Ireland, Greenock Sheriff Court has been told.

John Shovelin - who also shoplifted tools in order to do up his flat in a separate incident -  immediately apologised to police for his verbal abuse.

He admitted a charge of threatening or abusive behaviour at his home in Port Glasgow and was sentenced for the religiously-aggravated offence this week.

Shovelin, 44, previously pleaded guilty to repeatedly shouting, swearing, adopting an aggressive demeanour and uttering sectarian remarks in John Wood Street on November 14, 2021.

He also accepted a separate charge of stealing a quantity of tools from B&Q in the Port on July 11, 2021.

A not guilty plea was accepted by prosecutors to a further charge of helping himself to more tools from the same store on a number of occasions on July 16 of the same year.

Defence solicitor Paul Keenan told the court that his client's circumstances have 'changed dramatically' since then.

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Regarding the shoplifting offence, Mr Keenan said Shovelin 'accepts taking the tools in order to facilitate doing up his flat' after moving from a position of homelessness.

The lawyer added: "He is himself Irish. He has lost family members in Ireland as a consequence of the Troubles.

"He immediately apologised to police and told them: 'I shouldn't have said what I said, I shouldn't have played that music.'

"He has been free from trouble since November 2021 which is to his credit."

Sheriff Neil Kinnear sentenced Shovelin to a community payback order with a six-month social work supervision requirement.

He was also tagged and will be restricted to his home address between the hours of 7pm and 7am each night for three months.