A MAN has been ordered to do unpaid work in the community for punching someone in the street.

William Kennedy, 37, previously pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in Dumbarton's High Street on July 1 last year.

The crime was aggravated by religious prejudice and he was on bail at the time.

In March, Kennedy, previously of John Knox Street, Clydebank, and now of Invercanny Drive, Drumchapel, was put on a structured deferred sentence, what the court referred to as a "holding device".

Returning to Dumbarton Sheriff Court on August 20, his defence solicitor admitted his client "quite easily could have found himself back in prison".

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry replied: "It's not been ruled out completely yet."

The solicitor said Kennedy had a large gap in his offending but had problems with alcohol misuse.

Sheriff Hendry said a social work report on the man's progress was "pretty decent".

"When you focus on what you have been told to do, you're perfectly capable of doing it," he said.

He imposed an 18-month community payback order with more social work supervision. He must also do 150 hours of unpaid work in the community within a year.