A MAN'S desperate bid to be let out of prison in time for his partner's heart surgery was successful. 

Thomas Docherty appeared at Dumbarton Sheriff Court from custody last week for a string of offences dating back to 2019.

His most recent crime saw him granted bail on January 18 last year on the condition he did not enter Cumbrae Crescent South in Dumbarton and not contact his partner, but he broke that on March 25 this year.

Between February 12, 2022, and March 12, 2022, he repeatedly contacted his partner by phone to demand to know her whereabouts, demand to know if she was in a relationship with anyone and utter abusive remarks including threats to kill her.

In doing this, he also broke the court order not to contact the woman.

The 30-year-old then attended a home of a woman known to his partner on March 12 last year and threatened to slit her throat.

The repeat offender was also granted bail on December 21, 2021, to not enter Andrew Drive in Clydebank and the same Dumbarton address but broke that just over a week later on December 29.

He was originally sentenced to a community payback order (CPO) after he was caught with a taser in his former home on Brown Avenue in Clydebank without a lawful excuse on July 31, 2019.

His second CPO saw him behave in a threatening and abusive manner at his home on April 8, 2020. During this incident, he uttered threats of violence and offensive remarks.

Herbal cannabis was also found in the property that Docherty admitted to possessing.

Docherty then broke a court order on August 15, 2021, granted by Dumbarton Sheriff Court not to enter his former home. A third community payback order was imposed.

And he was placed on his last court order a few months later on November 18, 2021, when he assaulted his partner by pushing her on the body at a property in Cumbrae Crescent South.

Docherty appeared in the dock at the town's court on July 18 where his defence solicitor was instructed to persuade the sheriff to release him from prison due to family circumstances.

His defence solicitor Jonathan Paul said: "The exceptional circumstances of Mr Docherty are the family background. His partner is awaiting an urgent operation for her heart. She needs help with the children."

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry replied: "You know Mr Paul that there are ways that it can be dealt with. Court would have been asked in those exceptional circumstances to make some kind of arrangement. But instead, Mr Docherty breaks the law."|

Mr Paul added: "It is important that orders are seen to be obeyed and they are there for a reason. It is quite clear in the report he has learned a profound lesson. He has always worked and provided for his family. There are exceptional factors here."

The sheriff revoked all four community payback orders and said: "He seems to think he is above the law and does not seem to be learning the lesson. I appreciate that there was a period of no trouble-making.

"I am looking at cases that go back years. If he offended once and then realised the errors of his ways then well and good, but he has offended and offended and offended."

For his most recent offence, Docherty was placed on a community payback order under social work supervision for two years and ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

As part of the order, he has to attend alcohol counselling.

The sentencing of all other cases was deferred until next month.

Addressing Docherty, the sheriff added: "The maximum sentence available to me because of your repeat offending is nine and a half years in prison. Now you supposedly learned a lesson during your period on remand.

"You will have gathered with my first, second, and third thoughts that we have exhausted every conceivable possibility and sentencing you to custody is the only option left open to me. With a matter of hesitation, I am not going to do that today."