A MAN who terrorised partners in Clydebank and Helensburgh will remain behind bars for years, confirmed a court last week.

Martin Ross was already locked up by the High Court for attacks on a woman but returned to Dumbarton Sheriff Court for crimes against three others.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said he feared the High Court might have sentenced Ross to 59 months in prison without knowing about the other offences he admitted to - and that they might have jailed him for longer if they had.

Ross, 30, previously pleaded guilty to shouting and swearing, uttering threats of violence towards a former partner and her family and repeatedly sending electronic messages with abusive remarks and threats.

They involved locations in Medwyn Street, Skipness Drive, and Earl Street, all in Glasgow, the Craig Tara Holiday Park in Ayr, and even Low Moss Prison between January 1 and September 30, 2017.

Between September and December that year, at a flat in Earl Street, Glasgow, and elsewhere, he repeatedly sent the same woman threatening and abusive text messages, turned up at her children's school to intimidate her, and held a door closed to prevent her leaving his property.

On November 1, 2018, at a home in Old Luss Road, Helensburgh, he assaulted a second ex-partner and stabbed her on the body with a pair of scissors.

Then between July 1, 2019, and December 4, 2019, at the same property and at a home in Craighaw Street, Clydebank, and elsewhere, he was abusive to a third ex.

He shouted and swore and uttered threats of violence to her and the woman's family, repeatedly struck a television and a piece of furniture towards the woman causing damage, smashed a mobile phone, destroyed a passport, and sent messages to the ex and her mother which were abusive and threatening.

He assaulted the same ex in Clydebank and elsewhere on October 19 and 20, 2019, repeatedly punching her on the head and causing her to fall to the ground.

He presented a knife at her neck while making threats of violence towards her.

All the charges were aggravated by being against ex-partners.

Dumbarton Sheriff Court heard on March 16 that Ross has pleaded guilty at the High Court to charges involving a different victim and that didn't overlap the multiple charges in the current case.

Ross's defence solicitor, Mark Allen, said the High Court charges could be viewed as "part of a course of conduct".

Ross has been jailed for 56 months for those offences, plus another three years extended sentence.

Sheriff Hendry said the length of that sentence could overlap what he could offer, stating: "If I do nothing, he will receive no punishment."

Mr Allen said his client had a long-standing problem with alcohol and drugs, particularly street valium, on top of feelings of paranoia, ADHD, and was being assessed for borderline personality disorder.

"He accepts a custodial sentence is inevitable," he added.

Sheriff Hendry sentenced Ross to 18 months in prison for three of the charges to run alongside his High Court jail time.

He must serve another 15 months for the other charges after his earliest possible release date in August 2025.

"Your earliest release date is delayed," he said.

Non-harassment orders were put in place for 10 years to protect each of the three former partners from any contact from Ross.