Brian Clifford, 34, grabbed two chef knives from the kitchen at the Picture House pub on James Street – now the Logie Baird – and came back into the bar holding them aloft after being injured in a brawl with people playing pool.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard Clifford had to be restrained by a colleague and then fled the building with one of the blades before being picked up by the police.

Fiscal depute Sarah Healing told the court Clifford worked at the pub as a chef and had finished his shift at about 9pm on November 18 last year.

He stayed in the pub drinking at the bar and got into a fight about two hours later, which left him bleeding from a head wound.

Ms Healing said: “He approached a pool table in the premises and became involved in an altercation with a number of males using the pool table.

“During the altercation Clifford returned to the kitchen and emerged in possession of two knives, one in each of his hands.

“He emerged from the kitchen holding these aloft and was restrained by a member of staff.

“He dropped the knives on the ground before picking up one knife and leaving the premises.

“Police were called and the accused was found nearby.” She said he was ‘bleeding heavily’ from a head wound and was taken to Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, then Clydebank Police Station.

Clifford, of Grey Street, Alexandria, pleaded guilty to the charge of having a knives in a public place.

His lawyer, Tom Brown, said at the time of the incident Clifford was helping out his brother who was head chef at the Picture House and was also working at a cafe in Dumbarton.

He handed the court a testimonial from the Dumbarton cafe where Clifford was still working.

Mr Brown said the knives involved were Clifford’s chef knives and the one the chef took out of the pub was put in a bag with his chef’s whites.

He said Clifford required stitches for his head wound and added: “He shouldn’t have done what he did.” Sheriff William Gallacher told Clifford: “What you did at the place where you were helping your brother out was become involved in an altercation resulting in your injury.

“What you then did was you went into the kitchen and decided the solution to the problem was to arm yourself with a couple of knives.” He said there was a ‘great risk’ that Clifford planned to carry out violence.

Sheriff Gallacher said Clifford’s record stretches back to 1999 and involves convictions for having blades and carrying out acts of violence.

He added: “There’s no possibility of dealing with this matter by anything other than a custodial sentence, to bring it home to you that you cannot arm yourself with a knife.”