Man jailed for having knife at homeless unit

Incident threatened to spill over into full scale rammy

MIKE MCQUAID

A man blamed for stealing a mobile phone threatened his three accusers with a knife.

The disturbance happened at the Lindsay House homeless accommodation in East Kilbride, Hamilton Sheriff Court heard on Friday.

Brian Galloway, 30, a prisoner, was jailed for a year when he admitted shouting abuse while in possession of a blade on July 4.

Jennifer Guy, prosecuting, said

Galloway was in the main foyer about 10.45pm when three men arrived and started shouting at him.

They were demanding the return of a phone. An argument ensued and continued outside.

Ms Guy told the court: “The accused buzzed to get back in and the argument continued.

“The accused was telling the men not to call him a robber. He then reached into his waistband and produced a large knife.

“He presented this in the direction of the three men who made off. Police officers attended and the knife was recovered from a flower bed.

“When charged, Galloway told officers, ‘they started it. I was in fear of my life’.”

Defence agent Mary Anne McGranaghan said Galloway “took exception” to being accused of theft.

She told the court: “He was heavily under the influence of alcohol and appreciates his behaviour was completely disproportionate and unacceptable.

“He has long-standing issues with alcohol and drugs.”

Sheriff Thomas Millar was shown the knife and remarked that it was “quite a weapon”.

He told Galloway, who admitted previous convictions, that he would have been jailed for 16 months but for his guilty plea.

The sentence was backdated to July 5 and the sheriff added: “I hope this gives you time to deal with issues and that you are more able to cope with things when you are released.”