A SHERIFF gave an 18-year-old one last chance to show he has turned his life around after he smashed a car window and spat at a police officer.

Declan Paton smashed the window of a taxi driver’s car when he was drunk.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court the court heard Paton was “well under” the influence of alcohol when he kicked it in.

The procurator fiscal said the driver side window shattered with shards of glass landing on the driver’s lap.

Paton was then taken to Cathcart Police Office on Aitken Road where he continued to act in a threatening and abusive manner.

It was then he spat on the head of a police officer.

Defending the 18-year-old, the solicitor said that the accused did have a record of incidents, but this was the first of 2017.

The solicitor then went on to say Paton had found employment and has come to realise he was going down the wrong path.

The sentencing sheriff said: “You deserve custody for this as this is a very serious matter.”

However, the sheriff took in to account the fact that Paton had not re-offended for some time and that he had made efforts to seek employment.

“The reports I have in front of me are very good,” he added.

The sheriff decided to defer Paton’s sentence to see if the 18-year-old could stay out of trouble.

“I am going to defer sentence,” added the sheriff.

“However, if you’re not of good behaviour you will be going to jail.”

Paton, from East Kilbride, admitted that on March 13 this year on Union Street and at Cathcart Police Office he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing, uttering offensive remarks and acting in an aggressive manner.

He also admitted that on the same date at Union Street he kicked the window of a taxi causing the window to smash and putting the taxi driver at risk of injury due to the broken glass.

He further admitted to spitting on the head of a police officer on the same date at Cathcart Police Office.

Sentence was deferred until October 18 this year.