A MAN who attacked his former partner and her friend will have to wait to find out if he’ll be sent to prison.

James Reid, of Langfaulds Crescent, Clydebank, had previously pleaded guilty to shouting, acting aggressively, brandishing a metal object, and to assaulting the friend with the object, all while on bail.

The 37-year-old was said to have been invited earlier on July 16, 2016, to the property in Ellinger Court, but when he turned up, he was intoxicated, heard Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week.

Depute fiscal Scott Simpson said “it may or may not be” Reid had a “different understanding” of the relationship between his ex and her friend when he turned up as they watched TV around 10.30pm.

Mr Simpson said: “She became aware of the arrival of the accused. He had entered through the front door uninvited.

“He was slinging this metal object. The woman in response to this ran to where her friend was sitting to prevent the accused striking him.

“That was unsuccessful as can be seen from charge two. He proceeded to strike the man on the head with the object and as a result they ran from the locus and contacted police.”

When officers arrived, they saw him leaving the flat and they detained him and took him to Clydebank police office where he said he had consumed one litre of vodka. The man didn’t require medical attention for his injuries.

By the time Reid was charged, he was “in a state of full denial”, added Mr Simpson.

Defence solicitor Gail Campbell said her client had an underlying alcohol problem and it had spiralled out of control.

She said: “In his state, he remembers very little. He remembers being invited sometime earlier but was not welcome at this point.

“He is deeply apologetic for what it’s worth. It has been six years since his last significant sentence,” she said. He was out of trouble. I was genuinely surprised he was back in custody.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said the offences justified prison, “full stop”, and he still leaned towards that. But he deferred sentence to March 30 to give further consideration to the options available.