A CLYDEBANK man refused to go from his prison cell for an interview with a social worker because he had no trousers, a court has heard.

Gary Rooney was brought to court in handcuffs on Friday to answer for his failure to meet a social worker to have a background report prepared.

Rooney, of Bruce Street, had been remanded in custody after admitting a charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at his home address on December 8.

The 26-year-old had pleaded guilty to shouting, swearing, threatening violence, smashing items, arming himself with a knife, brandishing it at police and throwing it to the floor, narrowly missing an officer who was present at the time.

Rooney’s lawyer, Tom Brown, told Dumbarton Sheriff Court: "Just when you think you've heard everything – I'm afraid this is a new one.

“I’m told that on the day the social work department attended prison his trousers were in the wash.

“Two pairs of his trousers were stolen in the prison and he didn’t get the other pair back.

“He asked the prison if they could provide him with a pair of ‘joggies’ or something, to go through to the interview, but they couldn’t.

“He put it to them that he couldn’t go to the interview in his boxer shorts – that was all he had.

“He wouldn’t go through, prison officers wouldn’t take him through, and it was put down as a refusal to attend.”

Sheriff William Gallacher asked: “Is he optimistic that he will have adequate pairs of trousers in the future?”

Turning to address Rooney directly, the sheriff added: “It’s difficult to understand how this arose, but I’m not, at the moment, holding you to blame.”

Sentence was further deferred until March 1, and Rooney was returned to custody.