A MAN hurled an axe at a random living room window in Dumbarton in a “bizarre” attack.

William Brennan stood in the front garden of a neighbouring property in Overburn Terrace on September 21, 2021.

Fiscal depute at Dumbarton Sheriff Court said that the 39-year-old had a welded axe in his right hand and threw the weapon at the living room window, causing it to smash.

Police attended a short time later, traced Brennan and searched him.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week defence solicitor Judith Reid explained that the axe was in fact a hatchet-style weapon and was instead recovered from the living room, despite the fiscal depute claiming an axe was retrieved during the search.

It was also revealed during the hearing that the occupier of the vandalised home was not known to Brennan.

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry said: “There are aspects of this that is clearly bizarre.”

Ms Reid added: “This was a plea of guilty at an early opportunity. In the year and a half following this he has tried to turn things around. He has done that a lot through his own scheme and not necessarily through the help of others.

“His own mental health and drinking had a direct impact [on personal circumstances in his life]. He is in a very, very different place than he was.”

Sheriff Hendry said: “You are really not able to shed any particular light on this. You are a person who has been in some trouble before and that causes me concern.

“I am giving you a warning here that if there is any further offending behaviour I think the courts will not be looking at a community-based disposal and will be looking at the possibility of having to send you into custody. However, that can be avoided on this occasion.”

Brennan, of Townend Road, was placed on a structured deferred sentence for six months and a further review was set for March.