A THUG who threatened to rape and kill a complete stranger in the lift of a block of flats while armed with a knife and a hammer has been locked up – and told that a “significant custodial sentence” is inevitable.

Jordan Halpin told his victim “I could murder you right now” after following him into the lift in Dalmuir.

Halpin, 31, was remanded in custody to await sentence after a sheriff slammed his “horrific” behaviour in the incident on September 30.

Halpin, whose lengthy criminal record includes offences for assault, shoplifting, possessing offensive weapons and robbing a Clydebank shop while armed with a knife, pleaded guilty to five charges at a court hearing last week.

He admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause fear or alarm by following his victim into a lift at Dalmuir Court in Duntocher Road, brandishing the weapons at his victim and threatening to murder him.

Halpin, described in court papers as an inmate at Low Moss prison, also admitted further charges of being in possession of a bladed item and an offensive weapon, resisting police officers’ attempts to arrest him, and giving a false name to cops.

Martina McGuigan, prosecuting, told Dumbarton Sheriff Court on November 19: “The witness was returning home at around 12.20am when he saw the accused standing outside.

“The accused asked for a cigarette; the witness ignored him. The accused followed the witness and tried to stop him going into the lift.

“The accused told the witness he was going to take him to the ‘tap dancer’ and rape him. This left the witness petrified.

“The accused stood at the back of the lift, underneath a CCTV camera, and pulled out a curved knife with ‘pizza’ written on the blade and a small black-handled hammer.

“He said ‘I could murder you right here in the lift’.

“The lift door then opened and the accused apologised and gave the witness a hug. He sat outside the lift, then got back inside with the witness.

“The accused asked if the witness was going to his boyfriend’s house.

“The witness replied ‘I’m not gay’, to which the accused replied ‘aye, right’.”

Police attended at the address around 20 minutes later and told Halpin he was under arrest.

Judith Reid, defending, told Sheriff William Gallacher: “I’m inviting your Lordship not to deal with this matter today.

“Whenever he is released he will require support.

“Given his record, there is a public protection issue, which is acknowledged by him.”

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Addressing Halpin directly, the sheriff said: “Your behaviour was horrific.”

Halpin first hit the headlines when he was kicked out of primary school in 1998 for doing a ‘Full Monty’ striptease in the playground with a friend.

He was then jailed for four years and four months in April 2015 after robbing a shop in Mountblow Road.

He will find out his fate on December 12.