I had a knife because of drug dealers
Dialled 999 to say he had a weapon
An oddball armed himself with a blade because of drug dealers living in his block, a court was told.
Kelvin Gates, 61, stashed a kitchen knife down his trousers and told police he was going out to cut the grass while in possession of the weapon.
Paisley Sheriff Court heard Gates, who was previously locked up for terrorising a family with a machete, sparked a 999 emergency in the town.
Gates, formerly of Argyle Street in the town, but now living in Victoria Drive, Renfrew, pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a sharply bladed object, namely a knife, in a public place, without reasonable excuse or lawful authority.
He appeared for sentencing this week after the court had called for background reports, given his previous conviction for waving a weapon and confronting a family on their doorstep.
Defence agent Gordon Nicol said: “This is an unusual case.
“The matter for which he appears involved him taking steps to notify police on what his actions were.
“The mitigation shows there were reasons for him doing what he was doing.
“He has since managed to extricate himself from the area and now stays in Renfrew.
“Clearly where he was living there was drug dealing taking place.
“He was the only one taking care of the property and in the common areas.”
He urged the court to consider a community based punishment despite Gates’ previous offence.
The court heard Gates was found in the back garden by officers on May 6 last year with the knife in the waistband of his trousers.
When he was arrested by cops, he told them: “I cannot believe I am being charged.”
Sheriff Seith Ireland said: “You have a previous conviction for this. And I don’t fully accept what has been put forward.
“It was set against the background of a neighbourhood dispute. That gives me cause for concern.
“But I am narrowly persuaded in this instance to make a Community Payback Order as an alternative to custody.”
He handed Gates a 12 month order of supervision where he will undertake 260 hours unpaid work for the benefit of the community.
Gates was previously jailed for seven months in July 2015 at Paisley Sheriff Court for arming himself with a machete and confronting a family on their doorstep.
He banged on the door of the McLaren family at a property at Simons Crescent, Renfrew, and waved the blade in their direction.
That incident had also been prompted by problems with his neighbours.