A THUG who put a woman into a state of fear and alarm when he hurled a kerb stone through her Helensburgh kitchen window has been spared further punishment for failing to turn up to a court hearing – after a sheriff was told he had gone to work in Shetland.

Alexander McBride, 21, of Lineside Walk, Rhu, previously admitted behaving in a culpable or reckless manner at a house in Williamson Drive on September 3, 2017.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court had been told how he threw a kerb stone at a kitchen window, causing shards of glass and crockery to scatter around, to the danger of the house’s occupant, who was in the kitchen at the time.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry had placed McBride on a community payback order (CPO), including an order for unpaid work.

McBride was due to appear in court on November 14 for a review of the order – but there was no sign of him when his case called.

Defence lawyer Kenny McGowan said: “He has had to go to Shetland to work and had he not gone would have lost his job.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry resisted issuing a warrant for his arrest, instead deferring sentence until December 10 for him to appear in person. Bail was continued.