A SHERIFF said he was “flabbergasted” a thug with a history of violent crime was released from a lengthy jail term for knife crime only a third of the way through his sentence.

Myles Joyce was let out of prison on August 9 on a home detention curfew, little more than a year into a three-year spell behind bars for carrying a knife in a public place.

The 27-year-old, of no fixed abode, was brought from custody to Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday after being charged with committing a series of offences in a street in Whitecrook the previous day.

Joyce admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice by giving police a false name, struggling violently with six police officers, assaulting one of them by spitting on him, and being in possession of a quantity of heroin in Meldrum Street on October 19.

Sheriff Simon Pender told Friday’s hearing: “Am I to understand this man was released from his last sentence on a home detention curfew?

“He has three convictions for carrying a knife; a conviction in 2007 for assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement involving a weapon; a 2009 breach of the peace involving a knife; an assault and robbery in 2011 involving a knife; an assault to injury in 2013 involving a knife; and he is released on a home detention curfew after one-third of this sentence, having been sentenced on August 3, 2016?

“I’m flabbergasted that someone with that record, in prison for that offence, is released on a home detention curfew.”

Fiscal depute Scott Simpson told the court police had gone to Meldrum Street on Thursday after being told Joyce was causing a disturbance.

Mr Simpson said: “They asked him of his particulars and he provided the name Gary Scott. Police, however, were fairly quick in establishing his true identity using the police national computer – which then showed that the accused was to be arrested for the reasons which have become apparent.

“He was told he was going to be arrested and at that point he struggled violently, pulling his arms about and trying to push the officers off balance.

“He was taken to a police van and at that point he spat in the face of one of the officers.

“He was taken to Clydebank police office and within his property was found six wraps of diamorphine estimated at £20 each.”

Graeme Brown, defending, told the court Joyce suffered from extreme depression and anxiety, but had been having problems with his medication, and was not receiving it at the time of the incident.

He said: “He recognises police are just doing their job and do not deserve to be treated in that way. He apologises to the court.”

Sheriff Simon Pender told Joyce: “These are serious offences.

“Police should not have to face behaviour such as yours. Spitting in the face of a police officer is a particularly abhorrent offence.”

Joyce was handed a total of 10 months behind bars for the Meldrum Street offences – but ordered to serve an additional 18 months as the unexpired portion of his three-year sentence.