A MAN caught with a knife outside a Clydebank convenience store has been jailed.

Darren Gordon was found with the 7.5inch blade as police searched him outside the Scotmid store in Riddell Street, North Drumry.

Police had been called on May 2 after shop staff raised concerns about the 35-year-old’s condition.

He pleaded guilty to having the weapon at an appearance at Dumbarton Sheriff Court in June.

Defence solicitor Scott Adair told the court last week that given his client’s record, he knew he was facing a custodial sentence.

“All of his previous offending has come about from alcohol,” he said.

But Mr Adair said previous community-based punishments didn’t tackle the alcohol problem directly.

He continued: “He accepts it would be easier to send him to custody. The last conviction was eight years ago that was directly analogous. He would welcome any assistance.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry pointed out Gordon was extremely intoxicated around 7am when he was wandering the streets of Clydebank with the knife.

“I don’t see any choice,” he said.

Turning to Gordon, he told him: “You have four pages of previous convictions and given the circumstances, I have little doubt that I have little option but to send you to custody.

“You ought to have benefitted from the community payback order you were given in 2018, but you have not.”

He jailed Gordon for 12 months, backdated to May 3. On his release, he will serve a six-month supervised release order.

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A police search at the time of the offence found the kitchen knife in his left-hand jacket pocket.

Gordon told police the jacket belonged to a pal.

Mr Adair told the court in July: “His position is still that it was his pal’s jacket.”