A SYRIAN refugee pulled a knife on police when they went to his Clydebank home to answer a report of a neighbour dispute, a court has heard.

Mosaab Al Ahmad’s solicitor said his client had lost his temper after he and his family were subjected to anti-social behaviour.

Al Ahmad, 40, appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to arming himself with a knife, shouting and acting in an erratic manner at the property in Graham Avenue on April 21.

Sentence had been deferred until Friday to prepare a background report.

Meghan Glancey, prosecuting, said: “Police attended the property at around 6pm to speak to the accused’s wife on a separate matter.

“While they were within the property, the accused entered in an extremely agitated state, he began shouting in a mixture of Arabic and English, saying he was experiencing neighbour problems and the council was not helping.

“He ran into the kitchen and pulled a kitchen knife from a drawer.

“Police told him to drop the knife and after a short time he placed it on the kitchen counter.

“He was arrested and later cautioned and charged, when he replied, ‘I want to sort it now’.”

David Fisken, defending, told the court: “He lives at the property with his wife and children, having arrived here from Syria as a refugee.

“Since being housed in that area there have been numerous problems faced by the family in terms of anti-social behaviour towards them.

“On this occasion police had been phoned by a neighbour who had complained about a child being in the common close.

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“Mr Ahmad became frustrated, I think in large part due to the language barrier he faces in trying to make himself understood.

“But he accepts responsibility, and is well aware he shouldn’t have acted in this manner and should not have picked up a knife.

“The social work report indicates he is at minimum risk of reoffending.”

Sheriff John Hamilton told Al Ahmad: “Your conduct on April 21 was not, and is not, acceptable. While you might be under some pressure, reacting as you did when police were there was inappropriate.

“However, given your lack of previous convictions and your circumstances, I’m prepared to defer sentence for six months for you to be of good behaviour, and to show the court this was a one-off and that you can cope more appropriately with the undoubted pressures that you have in your life.”

Al Ahmad will return to court in May.