A PRANKSTER who violently threw house paint at two people in the street for a “good laugh” has been jailed.

Michael McElhinney launched the attacks on two successive evenings in September, one of which was filmed and shared widely across social media.

In the footage, the 24-year-old can be seen scooping paint out of the tin with his hand to fire directly into the face of a woman, aged 46.

A day later he was caught on CCTV shaking another tin over the head of a 55-year-old man until it was empty.

Appearing from custody, McElhinney pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week to both assaults.

Sheriff William Gallacher was shown video footage and recoiled at the ferocity of the paint being thrown at the two victims.

He said: “I’m shocked by what I have seen. Horrified. I have never seen a case like this.

“That must mean that everyone would grasp that an attack of this nature is so outrageous, nobody would contemplate doing it.

“It’s violently and vigorously thrown at somebody, causing them to be drenched in paint. The damage you could have cause to an eye, to breathing, is shocking.

“This court exists to make plain to people who attack members of the community that there will be consequences, and that others will be protected.”

Fiscal depute Kevin Doherty told the court McElhinney had “come up with a ploy to have a good laugh at other’s expenses by assaulting them while others filmed those assaults”.

Around 6.25pm on September 24, the 46-year-old woman was walking in Dunswin Avenue having left a friend’s house.

He said: “She felt herself struck on the face and immediately smells paint. She sees Mr McElhinney standing there. He continues to throw more of it at her. She was left terrified by his act.

“She returned to her home where she struggled to get the paint from her hair and clothing.”

At 7.10pm the following evening, the 55-year-old man had emerged from the Ladbrokes in Dalmuir Square and paused to look at his receipt when someone ran up behind him and poured paint over his head.

Mr Doherty said: “He found he was unable to see initially. He was alarmed and frightened by that.

“He wiped his eyes and observed three persons running away. He tried to go to the Co-op but fell over and had to be assisted by staff from the Co-op.

“He returned home and also struggled to get paint from his hair, face and clothing.”

The court heard the clothing of both victims were ruined, worth a total of up to £400 between them. The paint was pink matte emulsion.

Defence solicitor Judith Reid said her client made no attempt to disguise himself in either attack, which she called “two days of madness”.

She said: “This seems to have started as a drunken idea as a prank and grown arms and legs.”

Ms Reid said Mr McElhinney, previously of Dunswin Court, and his first victim were known to each other. He spoke to her and apologised afterwards. He didn’t know his second target at all.

She added: “The shame of this case is that of late he has been getting his act together.”

But Sheriff Gallacher pointed out McElhinney had four convictions in 2017, and three in 2018.

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In 2017, McElhinney was jailed for seizing a partner by the neck and pushing her against a wall in Auchenreoch Avenue, Bellsmyre.

In September last year, he was jailed for 21 months for going into the West Highway Petrol Station, Great Western Road and Vanguard Street, carrying a knife.

He was released early from prison for that offence and has now been recalled for four months. McElhinney will serve another 13 months.