A SERIAL offender has been jailed again after he tried to pass a vegetable knife to a friend without cops noticing near a taxi rank in Clydebank.

Lewis Graham, formerly of Alexander Street, where the rank is, appeared from custody at Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week.

He was due to be sentenced for two matters and the sheriff was to hear a progress report on his community payback order for three other matters.

However, Graham was unable to stay out of trouble from Christmas Day in 2021, when he last offended.

Fiscal depute Decla O’Connor said that police were alerted to a man under the railway bridge on Alexander Street causing a disturbance to taxi drivers on January 27 this year.

When they attended the scene cops saw Graham with another man walking.

They pulled up to him, but immediately spotted him removing something from his pocket and trying to pass it to his friend.

Police shouted at Graham to drop the black-handled kitchen knife in his hand and arrested him. 

The 26-year-old replied whilst being cautioned: “It’s mine. It’s mine. It’s got nothing to do with him.”

His defence solicitor, Michael Henry, said: “He describes his life as spiralling out of control. He holds his hand up to this offence and owns up to this. This is simply an incident attributed to alcohol. He tells me he didn’t intend to use this knife. He appreciates it is a silly thing to be in possession of it.

“He is a vulnerable young man. He does need help for this. He does understand that a custodial sentence is an option.”

Graham had also pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman by seizing her hair and repeatedly pulling it during an argument in Duncombe View on July 20, 2020.

During this offence, he also admitted to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner by shouting, swearing, and brandishing a bottle.

Speaking on that matter Mr Henry added: “This is another incident he attributes to alcohol. He was with a group of friends and was drinking at the time and I believe there was an argument that escalated. He says he had taken it too far. 

“He takes full responsibility for his actions. He is embarrassed by his actions and says they are not good enough. Although he did brandish a bottle he didn’t intend to use it and nobody was harmed although he appreciates the wrongfulness of this.”

For the most recent offence, Sheriff David Pender said: “You have a substantial criminal record including offences of violence. There is no other way of dealing with this matter other than a period in prison. I take account of the fact that you plead guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Graham was jailed for four months backdated to January 30.

A further review was set for May for his community payback orders and the 2020 matter was deferred sentence until that day.