A WHITECROOK man who violently attacked two police officers has been told by a sheriff that he’ll go to prison if he doesn’t start doing much better on a community-based punishment.

John Shirley was originally handed a community payback order in July 2018 with a requirement to do 250 hours of unpaid work within a year and a four-month home detention curfew.

The order was imposed after Shirley shouted, swore, acted aggressively and assaulted two police officers at a flat in Kilbowie Road on February 18 last year.

He kicked one of them on the head after grabbing hold of her and pulling her on to a bed, and repeatedly punched and kicked a second officer before forcing his thumb into the cop’s eye.

A court hearing in July last year was told Shirley attacked the officers after they were called to remove a man who was no longer welcome at the property.

But after breaching the terms of the order, it was revoked in March, and a new one put in its place - again with 250 hours of work, this time to be completed within eight months.

The 22-year-old, of Braes Avenue, appeared before Sheriff William Gallacher at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday.

His lawyer said the latest progress report was “in more positive terms” than the previous one.

But Sheriff Gallacher said: “If he’s only prepared to come kicking and screaming, and to do the bare minimum required of him, that will not do.

“My first thought, on reading this progress report last night, was ‘revoke and custody’.”

Addressing Shirley directly, the sheriff said: “I’m not impressed. I think you’re at it.

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“Social workers are more tolerant than I am, and I won’t tolerate it any more. There will be a further review of this order in about six weeks, by which time I expect 72 more hours to have been done.

“If you’ve not done them, I’ll revoke the order and send you to prison. Enough is enough.”