Hostel blade thug is jailed

Lout was high on drink and drugs

A convicted housebreaker who sparked terror with a blade at a homeless hostel has been jailed for eight months by a sheriff.

Thug James Corcoran, 35, was high on a cocktail of drink and drugs when he was spotted brandishing the kitchen knife at Abercorn Street, Paisley, on December 9 last year.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard the accused – who has a lengthy history of previous convictions for crimes of theft, robbery, and housebreaking – was so “out of it” on substances that he had no memory of the event.

And the court was shown the weapon he brandished – a pinkcoloured kitchen knife with a sixinch blade.

Fiscal depute John Penman said: “The place is 17 Abercorn Street, which is a homeless unit, and essentially the offence took place around 1 am on December 9 last year.

“Witnesses David Houston and John Bradley, care of Loretto Care, were on duty and heard the accused was in possession of a pink-coloured kitchen knife while within the homeless unit.

“Police were summoned to speak to the witnesses, and the accused was arrested.

“Officers took possession of the knife.”

The court was told that Corcoran was sentenced to a three-year stretch at Paisley Sheriff Court in January for offences of theft, and the earliest he will be let out of prison will be at the end of 2018.

Defence agent Graham Bryson said: “His personal circumstances will be determined by the fact that he is currently in custody serving a sentence previously imposed at this court.

“He is a 35- year- old man who remembers next to nothing about the incident.

“He formerly had alcohol problems, which resulted in severe difficulties for him. He has detoxed from alcohol but he remains stable on a methadone prescription.

“He admits he can remember very little about the events.”

The accused pleaded guilty to a charge of being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely a kitchen knife, without reasonable excuse or lawful authority.

His lawyer urged the court to impose a punishment which would not affect the prison stretch the accused is currently serving.

However, Sheriff Colin Pettigrew tore a strip off Corcoran after examining the weapon in court.

He told him: “There is only one appropriate disposal for this offence. You do not remember it. You were out of it. Carrying this, the public at large has to be concerned, and I will sentence you to eight months in custody which run from today’s date.”