A MAN who assaulted and injured a terrified Gourock shop worker during a 'drug-induced psychotic episode' has been spared prison.

Robert Henderson - who has a history of similar offending - was given a community-based sentence after expressing remorse when he appeared in the dock of the sheriff court for sentencing.

The 36-year-old injured a female retail employee's wrist in the incident at Gourock's Treasured gift shop.

He also later assaulted a male police officer when he struck him on the head with his hand.

Henderson was cleared of a further charge of struggling with officers, tensing and flailing his arms and resisting arrest.

The court hearing was told Henderson turned up to the Cardwell Road store - which occupies two units and is separated by another shop - on November 17 last year and began pacing throughout the premises and behaving erratically.

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Procurator fiscal depute Maria Murdoch said: "He appeared to be in a state of confusion and asked the witness for a taxi to be called.

"The witness went outside to alert the other witness in the other part of the shop.

"The second witness came out and spoke to the accused before returning to the door of number 66 and locking it from the outside, at which time the witness from number 60 contacted police.

"When locking the door, the accused approached the woman, she has put her hands on him to keep him back and he has pulled his hand away causing her injury to her left wrist."

The woman fled to the other part of the shop and Henderson was arrested around midday.

The fiscal depute added: "He was handcuffed and placed in a cell van at which time he has struck a police witness to the face with his hand."

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Defence solicitor Amy Spencer said Henderson 'is clearly not a stranger to the court', having been convicted of a similar offence in 2021.

Miss Spencer added: "He fully accepts this type of conduct is not acceptable.

"Drug misuse and his mental state at the time goes a way in admitting the conduct."

Attributing the assaults to a 'drug-induced psychotic episode', Sheriff Anthony McGeehan said: "It does provide context but your offending behaviour was clearly unacceptable and the shopworkers must have been terrified of your conduct on that day."

Addressing the sheriff from the dock, Henderson said: "I do understand the fear and alarm I put the shopworkers in that day."

He was sentenced to 12 months of supervision and a 12-week electronic tagging order.