Stephen Walsh, 21, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to failing to appear at a hearing at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on February 5.

The court heard this was his second failure to appear and his lawyer, Bert Thomson, said Walsh had not turned up because he thought it was more important to go to his work at the Job Centre.

Mr Thomson said he believed there was a 'strange naivety’ behind Walsh’s failure to appear due to his lack of experience with the court system.

He added that Walsh has secured a place to study physics at Glasgow University in September and Walsh told the court he had 'turned his life around’.

Sheriff William Gilchrist warned Walsh any further breaches would lead to him being put behind bars.

He said: “For a young man who is supposedly intelligent enough to get himself into university your behaviour on this occasion defies any comprehension. It is simply outrageous.” He ordered Walsh to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.