Drunken Greenock lout threatened to 'slit bank card thief's throat'

Thomas Footit – who is already serving a 15-month prison sentence for pulling out a large kitchen knife at Greenock’s homelessness centre and trying to spit at officers – has had an extra two months added to his jail term.

The 46-year-old admitted to making violent threats, swearing, uttering offensive remarks and behaving aggressively at the Inverclyde Centre and within a police vehicle.

Footit called police in the early hours of January 8 stating that someone had taken his ID and bank card from the Dalrymple Street building, a sentencing hearing was told.

Inverclyde Centre (Image: NQ)

Prosecutor Shaun Alexander said: “Police found him intoxicated on a stairwell unable to get into his room.

“Staff permitted him entry and he then demanded that police go and retrieve his bank card.

“He said that he was going to ‘stab the unknown person who took it.”

READ MORE: Balaclava-clad lout pulled knife at homelessness centre and spat at police

The procurator fiscal depute told Greenock Sheriff Court that constables attempted to get more information from Footit but ‘he would not engage and became aggressive’.

The fiscal depute added: “He made several statements about the individual, including that he was going to ‘slit their throat’, stating that he was ex-special forces and that he was going to go room to room and slit their throat.”

Footit was charged with a threatening and abusive behaviour offence and whilst en route to Greenock police office he repeatedly swore at officers and called them ‘rats with hats’.

Sentencing had been deferred since the start of the year for Footit to be of good behaviour, however, he was imprisoned in May for the other matter.

Solicitor Aidan Gallagher said: “Your lordship may not be surprised to learn that he had taken alcohol to excess that day.

“There was concern over his bank card because he had been paid benefits that day and in his mind, there was an individual responsible for that and in his drunken state, he has overreacted.

“He reacted in a wholly inappropriate fashion. In hindsight, if he had simply engaged with staff the matter could have been resolved amicably and to his benefit.”

The lawyer added that Footit is ‘apologetic for his behaviour’ and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

Noting Footit’s ‘extensive record’, Sheriff Anthony McGeehan said: “Your behaviour on that day was unacceptable in relation to officers who attended to help you, other residents and staff at the centre.

“There was an opportunity for you to resolve this situation in another way.”

The two-month prison term handed out last week will be served consecutively to Footit’s other sentence.