A TRAVELLER tried to fleece his fiancée's family out of thousands of pounds by threatening to desecrate a burial site and drink beer from the skull of his future mother-in-law's late father unless he was paid, Greenock Sheriff Court has heard.

James Muir admitted to an indictment charge of attempted extortion having demanded £4,000 from his partner's relatives after claiming he would damage a gravestone if he did not receive the money.

The 28-year-old also suggested that he would set the victim's house on fire and said he had 'the boys' ready to carry out the violent acts.

Muir was jailed for a year at Greenock Sheriff Court on Tuesday as a 'chilling' Crown narrative detailing the crime was read out.

Procurator fiscal depute Kirstin Brierley said two female complainers - the sister and mother of Muir's partner - were at home on November 15 last year when one of them received texts from an unrecognised number.

The messages read: "Your sister has caused this by cheating on me left, right and centre, so I'm going to hurt her where it hurts the most. Your father's gravestone is getting it."

Further messages stated: "Phone police all you want, they've been chasing me for three years.

"I've just spent £8,000 on her for nothing."

The woman replied saying that if her family member's headstone was touched she would 'jail him'.

Other communications were received, stating: "Four grand today and it won't get touched. Your dad's gravestone is irrelevant in my life.

"It only takes a car to drive by your house and it will be in flames. £4,000 or your dad's skull.

"I have the boys to do it."

The victim later received a call from the same number and recognised the voice as that of the accused.

Muir stated that he wanted £4,000 and that the woman had an hour to get him it.

The incident was reported to police and officers attended the home, with an under the influence Muir phoning again later that day repeating his threats and claiming that he was 'on the run'.

He was eventually arrested earlier this year.

This week's hearing was told by defence solicitor Larry Flynn that Muir, who comes from the travelling fraternity, committed the offence at an address unknown to prosecutors within the Greenock Sheriff Court jurisdiction.

The lawyer said: "He was indulging in alcohol and drugs at the time.

"He was engaged and this involved his future mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

"He thought they didn't think he was worthy and they were trying to get back at him.

"He has apologised to the family but it is fair to say they were not impressed at all by his behaviour."

Sheriff James Varney told the serial offender: "Offering to drink beer out of someone's late father's skull definitely meets the custody threshold.

"Your criminal record is absolutely significant and contains a seriously significant degree of violence, of which no doubt the complainers in this case would've been fully aware."

Sheriff Varney said that after listening to the 'chilling narrative', the only appropriate sentence was one of custody.

Muir was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment backdated to February 13 and discounted from 18 months following his guilty plea.