A MAN has pleaded guilty to calling his ex-partner just a day after being ordered by a court not to.

David King was told had his phone call been more similar to the original crime he got bail for, he could have gone to jail.

King, of West King Street, Helensburgh, pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court to breaking the bail condition on November 18, 2017.

On various occasions between November 15 and 16 last year, at a property in Boyle Street, Whitecrook, Clydebank, the 60-year-old behaved aggressively to his partner and repeatedly phoned her and left threatening and abusive voicemails.

He then turned up at the property, demanding entry, banging on the door, shouting, swearing and attempting to throw a chair at the window.

In the same street on November 16, King was caught driving with 76mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath - three times the legal limit.

He appeared in court on November 17 and getting bail with conditions not to contact the woman.

But the next day, the court heard, King's ex-partner had received a phone call from an unknown number and it was answered by her daughter and they recognised King's voice.

Fiscal depute Sarah Healing told the court: "He made reference that police were not allowing him to see her and became crying and mumbling.

"He was reminded he was not permitted to contact her and the call was ended."

The call wasn't reported to police until January 31, 2018.

King's defence solicitor, Tom Brown, said his client had appeared to be under the influence when he made the call and was "very upset". King was seeing the community mental health team for his alcohol problem.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry told King the fact he broke his bail condition just 24 hours after being explicitly told not to contact his ex was an "extremely serious matter".

He noted King appeared law abiding since 2007 and the question was "whether you're going to carry on committing criminal offences.

Sheriff Hendry added: "If you do, I predict you will be in prison very soon."

He put King on a community payback order (CPO) with 18 months of supervision and a requirement to take alcohol treatment or counselling as directed. He must also do 120 hours of unpaid work within nine months.

And he was disqualified from driving for three years, but can reduce that by nine months if he takes a drink driving rehabilitation course.

Sheriff Hendry will review King's progress on August 9. Bail conditions remain in place and King must not contact his ex or enter Boyle Street, Clydebank.

A non-harassment order to protect his ex will be considered once the CPO and bail order eventually come to an end.