A HELENSBURGH man who was spared prison after he admitted threatening to “destroy” his ex and her new partner has been told he could still go to prison for the crime.

William McKell, of East King Street, was handed a community payback order [CPO] in October after admitting two separate charges of threatening or abusive behaviour.

One was committed on August 12, when he sent a threatening text message to his ex; he was later arrested, charged and held in custody overnight to appear in court the next day.

The second offence was committed just five days after the first, when he chased a man into the Keystore in Old Luss Road on August 17, called him a “grassing b*****d”, and threatened to “do him in”.

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At Dumbarton Sheriff Court on October 16, McKell was put under social work supervision for 12 months, ordered to undergo any drug or alcohol counselling or treatment required by his supervisor, and told to do 120 hours of unpaid community work.

But at a review of his progress on Friday, the same court was told McKell had shown “a real lack of commitment” to his order.

Defence solicitor Stephen McGuire admitted: “Limited progress has been made.”

Mr McGuire said McKell had turned up to do unpaid work on one occasion a few days earlier, and had been told by the team’s supervisor that he was obviously unwell and should go home.

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He said: “A sick line was issued on Wednesday.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said: “He didn’t co-operate initially with the preparation of reports.

“Eventually a report said he was willing to comply with a CPO.

“But we rarely see, as we do in this report, the phrase ‘a real lack of commitment’.

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“I struggle to see why he has not at least remained in contact with his supervising officer.”

The sheriff told McKell: “I’m not ignoring what I’m being told, but I’m putting it in the whole context of your offending, the opportunity you were given, and your ‘real lack of commitment’.

“If I see another report in two months that looks remotely like this one, I don’t think it will be possible for me to do anything other than send you to prison.”

McKell was ordered to come back to court for a further report on March 31; his bail was continued until then.

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