A RACIST thug from Clydebank has been jailed after covering the walls of a court cell in racist graffiti.

Scott Fordyce claimed he had taken substances while in custody and couldn’t remember what happened in March this year.

But the 21-year-old had signed his name amongst the tags and swastikas he’d left all over the cell. And his hands were covered in blue ink.

Fordyce, of Lusset View, Radnor Park, was brought to the court from Polmont Young Offenders Institution around 8.50am on March 24.

He was booked in and led to cell two. He was the only occupant, fiscal depute Rebecca Reid told the court.

Court officers later found blue ink graffiti in the gents’ toilet - with the name “Scott Fordyce” written in blue ink on a tile.

Members of staff made their way to cell two, where they found all four walls and the bench marked with blue ink.

Graffiti included “Young Whitecrook Boys”, “Three petitions”, “FTS”, “F*** the screws” and several swastikas in various locations.

Witnesses saw Fordyce’s hand covered in blue ink, and they later contacted Polmont when Fordyce was sent back.

Staff there also noted the colour of his hands.

Fordyce was later released from custody, but was then caught with a knife in Low Crescent, Whitecrook, on Saturday, July 3.

Police attended at a property there around 12.40pm in relation to a disturbance and found a yellow-handled Stanley knife in his right front pocket while carrying out a search.

Fordyce previously pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by writing abusive and derogatory remarks and anti-semitic imagery on the walls of the cell and toilet at the court.

The crime was treated more seriously because it involved racist abuse.

Fordyce was also on two bail orders, from Inverness and Glasgow, at the time of the offence.

He also admitted having the weapon, at which point he was breaking four bail orders, two of them issued in the same week in May.

Defence solicitor Gail Campbell said her client was currently on a community payback order.

She said the social work report on Fordyce was “concerning for him and for other people”.

Ms Campbell said: “It’s clear his mental health has deteriorated.”

She said her client had a visible slash down his face from a 2019 serious assault while he was “going about his business”, and that his life had “spiralled” from then.

Ms Campbell said her client “understood the gravity of this matter” and realised he was lucky that the case was proceeding at ‘summary’ level, rather than being treated as a more severe ‘solemn’ matter.

“When clean and sober, he just couldn’t remember [the incident],” Ms Campbell said, “and it took a family member to help him remember which knife he had.”

On the matter of the graffiti, she added that it appeared “he consumed substances” and he immediately identified his handwriting when shown photos of the markings.

“Some of it was gibberish,” she added. “He apologises profusely.

“He was doing exceptionally well in life until he was attacked and somehow he needs to find a way to get back on track.”

Sheriff William Gallacher said it was outrageous that Fordyce consumed substances while in custody, and that he knew “exactly what was going on”.

He said: “The court has a responsibility in part towards the accused but an overriding responsibility to the community.”

Fordyce was jailed for 10 months, backdated to July 5.

Sheriff Gallacher added: “You are now sober. When you’re in prison, it’s not compulsory to take drugs.”