A CHEF has avoided prison after singing sectarian songs on a bus and hurling sectarian abuse at police officers.

George McGhee was travelling on the number two First Bus along Dumbarton Road when other passengers heard him singing offensive songs.

The 55-year-old, who claimed in court to have been attacked by a female passenger, was also shouting and swearing during the journey.

When police arrived and arrested McGhee he then kept up his tirade from the back of the cop car, using the expression “f****n b*****d”.

The grandad claimed that during the journey, on April 17, 2016 around 9.35pm, he had been assaulted for no reason by a female fellow passenger.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard McGhee, from Drumchapel, had been drinking at a pub in Govan before taking the bus home.

His defence lawyer said that, despite a criminal record, McGhee had been clear of the courts for the past four years.

The court was also told that the defendant’s family had been “derailed” by the recent death of McGhee’s granddaughter, who had been suffering from an illness.

The defence lawyer said: “This is a 55-year-old man who has suffered a recent bereavement that has devastated his family.

“His last offence was in 2013 and was admonished. Before that, it was 2011 and that was also admonished.”

The lawyer added: “He did suffer the indignity of being attacked by this woman for no reason.

“He had been drinking in a public house in Govan.

“He regrets his behaviour and is upset the other person on the bus who assaulted him was not arrested.

“He has suffered as the result of the death of a grandchild from a rare condition that has destabilised the whole family.”

Sheriff Cameron handed McGhee two fines.

The first, for a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner aggravated by religious prejudice on the bus, saw him slapped with a £270 fine.

The second, also for £270, was for religiously aggravated threatening and abusive behaviour on the journey to Govan police office.

Both fines were reduced from £300 to reflect McGhee’s guilty plea.