by Craig Borland

A CLYDEBANK man who launched a tirade of threats and drunken abuse at police after making an emergency call claiming he was feeling suicidal has been sent to prison.

Thomas Jackson was told by a sheriff that he had “run out of patience” with his behaviour after a series of offences fuelled by alcohol.

Jackson, 61, of Whitecrook Street, who is already subject to a community payback order on a separate matter, was warned that if he offended again after his release, he would receive the maximum sentence possible.

Scott Simpson, prosecuting, told Dumbarton Sheriff Court on August 16 that police had gone to Jackson's home address on October 26, 2014 after he dialled 999 to say he was considering suicide.

When officers arrived at the address they saw Jackson apparently “heavily under the influence of alcohol”, and heard him make what Mr Simpson described as “troubling comments” about his son.

Mr Simpson said Jackson had “turned on” police after he was warned about his behaviour.

“He could have calmed down and taken the hint,” Mr Simpson added, “but he didn't and police decided that was the end of that.

“He was handcuffed and at that point he shouted 'I'm going to f*****g have you once these cuffs are off'.”

Scott Adair, defending, acknowledged that Jackson had “a difficult history” with alcohol and that a family dispute seemed to have put him off the rails - “if,” Mr Adair said, “he was ever on the rails.”

“He has had a fairly lengthy period in custody to think about his behaviour,” Mr Adair added, “and what he has to do in respect of his alcohol problems.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry told Jackson: “You have tried my patience beyond its limits. You keep saying you're going to do the right thing, and you keep doing the wrong thing.

“You keep drinking, and you do that in the knowledge that you are going to carry on drinking and you are going to commit a crime.

“I don't think you should be in the slightest doubt – in the short period after you come out of prison, if you go back to behaving the way you have been behaving you will be appearing again, coming back to me and I will be passing the longest possible sentence.

“Next time, you will be spending not months in prison but years.”

Jackson was jailed for six months, two of which were ascribed to the offence having been committed while he was on bail.