A THUG who took a taxi to a Greenock street he was banned from before issuing a stab threat against a person due to appear in court has been sentenced for the 'concerning' offence.

Stuart Sorley, who was spared a jail sentence earlier this year for headbutting a man who was set to give evidence against him in a trial, appeared again in the dock at Greenock Sheriff Court last week.

The 46-year-old was convicted of threatening or abusive behaviour having breached a bail order and turned up in Millar Street last year.

Sorley, who was given unpaid work hours and supervision in March for targeting and attacking a man in front of a young child within the foyer of the sheriff court building, was ordered to stay away from a woman and told not to enter Millar Street as part of a bail order from January 2021.

However, a procurator fiscal depute told last Wednesday's hearing that Sorley ignored the directive.

The fiscal depute said: "At 12.10pm on March 6, 2022, two witnesses were within their vehicle and were returning from an overnight stay in Clydebank.

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"On approaching home they observed a taxi parked on the street with one passenger.

"The accused exited from Millar Street and pointed at the witness, shouting 'You are a clown, I'm going to stab you, you're going to get stabbed after your court case'."

Police were called and Sorley was later traced and arrested.

Defence solicitor Aidan Gallagher said his client made the comment 'in the heat of the moment'.

Mr Gallagher said: "He reacted to what he thought was the complainer laughing towards him or smirking.

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"Obviously it was a concern to that individual what was said to him."

"He [Sorley] is currently subject to a community payback order and seems to be engaging well with it."

Sheriff Anthony McGeehan said: "The circumstances of these offences are concerning.

"You not only breached a condition of bail but you then committed a further offence which involved making threats to members of the public regarding court proceedings."

Sorley, of Cornhaddock Street, was sentenced to a restriction of liberty order, meaning he will be tagged and must remain within his home address between the hours of 7pm and 7am each night for three months.