A CLYDEBANK pervert avoided being placed on the sex offenders register despite sneaking into his neighbour’s flat before scattering her underwear in a bedroom and urinating on her bed.

Thomas Gallagher’s shocking behaviour also saw him relieve himself on the bed with his victim’s underwear tucked inside his pants.

But despite the seedy incident, the 58-year-old was not placed on the sex offender’s register when he appeared for sentencing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Tuesday, November 14.

At an earlier hearing Gallagher, of Crown Avenue, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear and alarm.

The offence took place on July 15 this year at a flat in Crown Avenue, and saw Gallagher sneak into the bedroom, pick up items of his victim’s underwear, scatter it around the room – with underwear in his hand and some tucked into his pants – then urinate on the bed. The woman was not at home at the time.

Sentence at the time was deferred for reports to be gathered.

When the case returned to court last week his solicitor Judith Reid said in mitigation: “He’s lost friends, the house he’s lived in for a long time and it’s [the offence] not passed him by.”

Sheriff John Hamilton posed the question as to whether Gallagher would be suitable for a period of supervision, and was told by Ms Reid there would be “no difficulty”.

Gallagher – who the court was told intends to leave the West Dunbartonshire area – was handed a community payback order, requiring him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work in the community within the next 12 months.

He will also be supervised for a period of 12 months but Sheriff Hamilton ruled out placing him on the sex offender’s register.