A WHITECROOK thug threatened to infect cops with Covid after being caught stealing hundreds of pounds worth of goods from shops in Clydebank in a desperate bid to fuel his drug habit.

Michael Ferguson, of Meldrum Street, was found with stolen items including booze and cans of air freshener on three separate occasions last month.

Ferguson appeared in court last week for sentencing on three counts of theft by shoplifting, committed on September 9, 16 and 18.

But despite spending much of his adult life behind bars, this time he was spared prison.

Fiscal depute Abigail McKenna told Dumbarton Sheriff Court that Ferguson had been caught walking past a checkout in Asda at around 10am on Thursday, September 9 with a basket full of alcohol worth £152.50.

He told a security guard: “I thought you would have let me go like the guys let me go last night.”

At 8.15am on Thursday, September 16, Ferguson tried to steal two baskets of goods worth £183.60 from the Wilko store in the Clyde Shopping Centre, and told security staff: “Don’t come near me. I’ll do you in.”

Police were called and found two cans of air freshener when they searched Ferguson – who replied: “How else am I supposed to fuel a drug habit?”

After being put into a police vehicle, he shouted: “Take that yellow jacket off and I will f*****g do you in, in a back alley. If I see you on the street you are getting done in.

“I’ve got Covid. When I get out of this cell I’m going to spit all over you.”

And at 12.30pm on September 18, a bystander saw Ferguson carrying two large shopping bags with goods worth £198 at the shopping centre’s Poundland store.

Security staff told him to hand over the stolen goods but Ferguson said “Don’t come near me. I’ve got a knife.”

Police arrived and searched him, but no knife was found.

Ferguson’s solicitor said drugs had been a part of his client’s life since the death of his father, and told the court the 30-year-old – who has been in custody since his arrest for the September 18 incident – had spent most of the last 14 years behind bars.

He added: “The last few weeks in jail have been a different story for him. He regrets his behaviour and the threats he made.”

Sheriff Simon Fraser said: “Either I or one of my colleagues in 2007 at this court put you on probation. Probation, of course, was breached, and you went inside – and you haven’t had anything other than the jail ever since.

“That’s perhaps not surprising given the offences you committed in between that time and now.

“You threatened violence and infection but those threats didn’t materialise.

“Whenever you appear, there is a strong temptation to throw the key over you for as long as possible, and it may well come to that.”

Ferguson was placed on a community payback order with 18 months of social work supervision. He was also ordered to attend a drug and alcohol course and to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work.

Calling for a progress report on the order, she sheriff added: “If I do not have a glowing report you will be straight back on the [prison] bus. Your feet won’t touch. You will be spending Christmas behind bars.”