A DRUNKEN Clydebank teen spotted waving two knives above his head in the middle of the town has been spared a prison sentence.

Connor Maxwell was seen on CCTV footage with the two blades in his possession in Kilbowie Road in the early hours of February 2.

The 18-year-old Graham Avenue resident appeared in court on Friday for sentencing after pleading guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard Maxwell had told police he had the blades with him because he’d been “getting bullied”.

Fiscal depute Emma Thomson said: “At 12.40am on Sunday, February 2, a CCTV operator at Clydebank police station noticed the accused walking along Kilbowie Road.

“The operator saw he had two knives with him, one in either hand, and was occasionally raising the knives above his head.

“He was seen walking along the road with a female.

“The CCTV operator thought both parties appeared intoxicated, and made the police control room aware.

“Police attended the [scene] and spotted the accused, still walking along Kilbowie Road.

“He was detained for a search and two black-handled kitchen knives were recovered from the waistband of his shorts. The blades were approximately 10cm and 11cm long.

“Police asked the accused why he had the items and he said he had been getting bullied since he was at school.”

Referring to a background report on Maxwell, solicitor Kenny McGowan said: "The report also makes reference to some difficulty he has had with his mental health.

“None of that excuses his conduct; the fact he was intoxicated does not excuse it either. But he does not shy away from the gravity of this offence.”

Sheriff John Hamilton said: “You were drunk, carrying two knives on a Saturday night in the middle of Clydebank and waving them above your head.

“Think of the consequences if you had met someone you didn’t like, or someone who didn’t like you.

“I’ve spent 25 years being a criminal lawyer, and I’ve seen a number of cases where people have been stabbed to death.

“Everyone says ‘I didn’t mean to do it’, but all too often, someone has ended up being killed.”

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Maxwell was handed a community payback order which will see him supervised by a social worker until February of next year.

He was also ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work by the end of August.

“It’s going to be a bit of a shift,” the sheriff added. “But the discount is the fact you’re not going to jail.”