Scott Colquhoun narrowly avoided jail after pleading guilty to the racially aggravated assault and to an equally serious charge of carrying a knife.

The 17-year-old and his friends were walking towards his victim, who was also with friends, in Morrisons Quadrant in Clydebank in July last year.

Stopping the unassuming youth in his path, Colquhoun and his compatriots said ‘it was him up there’ in an attempt to distract the attention of the teenager.

As his victim looked to his right, cowardly Colquhoun punched him on the face, causing him to fall to the ground.

As the 16-year-old fell back, hitting his head on the pavement, Colquhoun was heard to repeatedly shout ‘ Paki,’ before walking away.

His victim was helped to his feet by his friends and taken home, where they called police. After issuing a statement describing the accused, he was taken to the Western Infirmary in Glasgow where he required treatment to a cut and swelling.

After he had been successfully identified by his victim, police saw Colquhoun on Kirkwood Avenue in Clydebank. The sneaky youth saw officers and made towards Whitecrook and then Gran Street, where he was apprehended. He was arrested and charged and released on bail.

Colquhoun was again subject of police attention in November last year after running from officers in Abbotsford Road at 3.55am. Once they caught up with him, police found a knife in an orange sheath in Colquhoun’s front trouser pocket. He was again arrested.

Since then, the youngster has moved to supported accommodation in Dunoon where his solicitor, Roddy Boag, said he was ‘doing reasonably well,’ having ‘applied’ himself, keeping out of trouble.

Mr Boag added: “He has regular meetings with a care team and there is a maturity that was missing during both these offences.

“His life has moved on for the better now and he has been showing signs that he can deal with supervised assistance.” Sheriff Simon Pender said he was ‘persuaded’ by Mr Boag’s defence of the teenager and would not send him to jail.

However, he told Colquhoun these were ‘serious matters’ and that his punishment was a ‘direct alternative’ to a custodial sentence.

Colquhoun was told to complete 210 unpaid hours within nine months and given 18 months supervision. He was also placed on a restriction of liberty order and given an electronic tag to wear.

He has to remain in his accommodation in Dunoon between 7am -7pm daily for four months.