Drunken knife yob threw cat at neighbour

Mayhem after romantic knockback at party

A dad-to-be stormed out of a house party after his romantic advances were rejected – then hurled a cat at his neighbour.

Roberto McElwee, 28, launched the moggy after stamping out the bash in the flat below his.

He then stamped downstairs and bawled while ramming a blade through the letter box.

The lout was spared jail after pleading guilty to terrorising the people in the close at Paisley Sheriff Court.

Prosecutor Pamela Flynn told how he lost his temper when he was spurned.

She said: “The accused attended at the front door at some point in the evening and has been invited in for a drink.

“During the course of the night, he had been trying to flirt with one of the women.

“But she advised she was not interested.

“He appeared annoyed and left and made his way upstairs to his own flat.

“They could hear him slamming doors and jumping up and down, shouting loudly and aggressively.”

Neighbour Lee Townsley left the party and made his way upstairs to his flat in Brediland Road, Paisley.

But McElwee barged out to confront him before he could get inside on June 9 last year.

Ms Flynn added: “Mr Townsley could hear him shouting incoherently.

“The accused’s front door opened and he threw a cat towards him. It landed in the hallway.

“Mr Townsley lifted up the cat, which appeared uninjured, and handed it back.

“He went back downstairs and saw the accused making his way down. He appeared aggressive and stated, ‘who the f**k are you looking at?’”

Mr Townsley went back into the party and closed the door but could hear his neighbour ranting: “Come on then, you f*****g b*****d.”

Minutes later McElwee was back at the door and thrust a knife through the letter box.

Defence lawyer Nadine Dormer claimed his client had tried to turn his life around after it was revealed he was to become a dad.

She said: “It was 5am and it was ridiculous drunken behaviour.

“I understand the cat landed on its feet and was uninjured.”

McElwee was rapped for a separate offence when he tussled with cops called to a rammy.

He threatened to spit on officers and tried to headbutt one probing a disturbance in Cochrane Street on January 6.

The thug had to be grounded and had a hood put over his head to stop him from gobbing.

McElwee has been placed under supervision for 18 months and told to attend alcohol counselling.

He has also been placed under curfew for 14 weeks between 8pm and 6am.

Sheriff Andrew McIntyre told McElwee he would be justified in jailing him.

He said: “You have come extremely close to a significant period of imprisonment.

“They merit imprisonment due to their seriousness and because of your record.”