by Craig Borland

A MAN who tried to break into the home of a top Scottish trade union official has been jailed for more than two years.

Christopher Murray tried to enter the home of the GMB union’s Scottish regional organiser, Ude-Joe Adigwe, last summer – and challenged Mr Adigwe to a fight in the street after he was chased away.

Giving evidence at the trial, Mr Adigwe had said he found Murray and another person attempting to open the front window of his home in Helensburgh at 6.30am, and that Murray had come back, shouting and screaming and waving a weapon, after he chased the pair off.

Murray committed the offence in the early hours of August 16, last year – and in doing so breached a curfew which banned him from leaving his bail address between 7pm and 7am each day.

He was sentenced at Dumbarton Sheriff Court after admitting charges of attempted housebreaking and breach of bail at an earlier hearing.

He also found guilty, after a trial in February, of acting in a threatening or abusive manner in the incident, which happened at, and outside, a property in Craigendoran Avenue.

Sentence was deferred until now for a report on a ‘supervised release order’ to take effect once Murray is released from prison.

The latest hearing was told that Murray is currently serving a prison sentence on an unrelated matter and isn’t due for release until July 2.

But Sheriff William Gallacher imposed a 27-month prison sentence on top of Murray’s current jail term – and told the 21-year-old that he’ll be supervised for a further 12 months after he’s eventually set free.

Murray’s solicitor, Elaine Rae, told Sheriff Gallacher her client had been affected by the death of his brother, apparently from drug misuse.

Sheriff Gallacher told Murray: “You have a simply dreadful criminal record. You disregard other people’s property almost routinely.

“You disregard other people’s safety and you disregard orders of the court almost without exception.”

Imposing consecutive sentences of 14 months, seven months and six months for the housebreaking, threatening behaviour and bail breach, the sheriff added: “I think these matters are entirely separate. “