A FORMER soldier again forced his Faifley family to call police when his behaviour got out of control, a court has heard.

Christopher Boyle, 31, was repeatedly arrested in 2020 and 2021 for abusive behaviour as he struggled to get the help he needed.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court put him under social work supervision back in July - but by November, he went on a two-week “bender”.

Around 7pm on November 1, police were in a property in Lennox Drive where Boyle was intoxicated and acting in an aggressive manner.

Boyle was subject to a curfew and disregarded repeated requests to confirm his home address.

Fiscal depute Claire O’Hagan said Boyle was then asked to speak to officers outside because his father had asked that he leave.

“F** off,” he told them. And when he was told to stop, he replied: “I’m going to knock you the f*** out.”

Boyle was arrested and in the rear of a police van and at Clydebank police office, he continued to be abusive.

He said: “You’re a bully c*** and I can’t wait to smash the f*** out of bully c***.” Boyle also threatened to headbutt officers.

Boyle later pleaded guilty to repeatedly shouting and swearing at police and uttering threats of violence. He was on five separate bail orders at the time.

In July, the court was told Boyle’s family had been told by his GP to call police to get him hospital help for his PTSD from serving in Afghanistan.

Last week, Boyle’s defence solicitor Brian McGuire said his client had been making progress since July and “seemed to be heading in the right direction”.

Mr McGuire said: “He is a completely different person today because he has gone through a detoxification programme while in prison. He appears to not get himself into difficulty if he stays off the drink.”

Sheriff John Hamilton said: “His family are extremely supportive. To go on a two-week bender that eventually requires his father to get him out of the house is not with the programme.”

Mr McGuire insisted: “It’s been going in a positive direction and then he just didn’t cope with his mother’s death.”

Sheriff Hamilton allowed the existing community payback order to continue and released Boyle on bail to his father’s address in Lennox Drive.

He told Boyle to behave and return for a review in two months.

The sheriff told him: “That gets us over Christmas and New Year. It will be difficult for you. What you cannot do is just give up and start drinking again.

“Consider the position of your father, dealing with the loss of his wife and then having to deal with you. When you reach for the bottle, it’s the wrong way.

“If you do reach for the bottle, it will be the jail for the best part of a year.”