A CLYDEBANK man has avoided jail for a domestic row over a cockatiel and pet dogs.

Alexander Irvine returned drunk to a flat at Brunswick House, Mountblow, around 11.30pm on June 14 and an argument started with his partner and a 16-year-old girl about Irvine smoking in the living room.

The teenager asked Irvine to stop smoking out of concern for her pet cockatiel, and he replied she was an “a*******” and complained about her not looking after her dogs.

There was then another argument when Irvine tried to blame a 17-year-old teenager for smoking in the living room.

Irvine then called him an “a*******” as well.

Irvine was asked to leave and he went to the bedroom to retrieve items of clothing. But when his ex went to assist, he threw a pair of trousers at her.

The 16-year-old girl also tried to help get Irvine to leave while he shouted at the 17-year-old about being a “w*****” and a “pr***”.

Police were contacted and Irvine turned his abuse on his partner. As officers arrived, he shouted at them, saying “Let go of me, you f****** k***s” and “I’ll break your f****** nose”.

Irvine, 41, previously pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court to acting in a threatening and abusive manner, placing three people in a state of fear and alarm, while on bail.

The crime was aggravated by being a domestic incident.

He also admitted shouting and swearing and threatening police.

When Irvine returned to the court for sentencing last week, his solicitor, Scott Adair, said his client could either go to prison or serve a lengthy community payback order.

He said: “Alcohol seems to have been a problem since about March this year and resulted in the breakdown of his relationship. He realised what he has been doing to his relationship. He has started to engage with community addiction teams.

“His last domestic incident was in 2006. There is plenty of other offending in the interim, but not of that nature.”

Sheriff Craig Harris said: “You have a record of previous offending but matters of this type of offending have been some distance in the past.

“That prevents you going to prison today. It appears you have the support of your long-term partner – you are fortunate for that.

“I’m just persuaded, and only just, I can deal with this with an alternative [to custody].”

Irvine will be under social work supervision for 18 months and must carry out 160 hours of unpaid work in the community. He will also return to court in four months for a progress report.