A MUM-OF-THREE who was reported to police for knocking on doors in a Kilcreggan street and shouting threats through letterboxes has been spared jail.

Police found Laura Dowds at the home of a family member in Fairfield Gardens in November.

At the time the 22-year-old was in the company of her partner, in direct contravention of a court's instructions.

Dowds was sentenced at Dumbarton Sheriff Court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to breaching a condition of bail and to shouting and swearing at police.

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The Advertiser reported last month how Dowds was released from custody in time for Christmas after previously being remanded to await sentence because of her history of breaching bail.

At the December 31 hearing, fiscal depute Sean Maher said: "At around 8.40pm on November 12, police attended Fairfield Gardens following an anonymous report of a female in the street, knocking on doors and shouting threats through letterboxes.

"Police attended an address in the street and found the accused present.

READ MORE: Mum let out for Christmas after being remanded for Kilcreggan bail breach

"She was informed that further enquiries would be made in relation to the reported incident.

"Upon their return to the address later that evening the accused was seen sitting on the lap of a male who she claimed to be her cousin.

"Further checks identified the male as being named in a special bail condition relating to the accused.

"The accused was informed she was under arrest; on being escorted to a police vehicle thereafter, she began to shout and swear at the officers and to act in an aggressive manner."

READ MORE: Woman, 22, arrested for alleged bail breach in Kilcreggan

Dowds was cautioned, charged and brought to court the following day, when she was remanded in custody to await sentence.

Noting that Dowds had been convicted of a similar breach of bail, involving the same man, in 2017, Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said: "I'm concerned at what appears to be a trend of analogous behaviour; she seems to have very little respect for bail orders."

Dowds' solicitor, Michael O'Neill, told the court: "She has now spent some time in custody, having been remanded from November 13 until December 6, and has had time to reflect on what happens to people who are in breach of court orders.

"The locus of the offence is her father's home; she was there when the male named in the bail condition arrived. She was under the influence at the time and allowed him access to the house."

Mr O'Neill said the bail condition related to a case which was due to call for trial in Glasgow in January, and added: "She is anxious not to repeat her period in custody."

READ MORE: Woman charged with serious assault after 'attack with lamp' at house in Kilcreggan

Sheriff Hendry told Dowds: "There is a relatively minor matter on your record from 2014, but then we have a breach of bail, with a domestic aggravation, in 2017; another similar offence in February 2017; and an assault with a domestic aggravation.

"You are working your way towards a prison sentence, and if your offending continues, that's what is waiting for you.

"If you want to spend perhaps increasing periods of your life in custody, you just have to carry on doing the things you have been doing.

"If you don't want that to happen, you have to make changes.

"With some hesitation, I'm going to place you on a community payback order – but if you don't take advantage of the help that's offered to you, then I'm afraid the future looks bleak."

Dowds was told she will be supervised by social workers for 18 months, and was ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work within six months as a punishment.

She was also handed a restriction of liberty order which will see her tagged for four months and restricted to her home address, in Canmore Street in Glasgow's east end, every night between 7pm and 7am.

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