Prison for knife thug too fat for community service

AN OVERWEIGHT knife thug who was too fat for community service has been jailed.

Liam Johnston, 19, who weighs 20 stones, had earlier been sentenced to 150 hours of community service, as long as it was not too strenuous.

Now he has been jailed after going back in the dock for failing to carry out the unpaid work. Johnston, of Mowbray Rise, Livingston, had earlier pleaded guilty to breach of the peace during a drink-fuelled rage in Livingston.

He ran at a marked police car while brandishing a blade and assaulted PCs Andrew Meikle and Jamie Crawford by presenting the knife at them and threatening them with violence. The officers used CS gas spray to halt him.

Johnston appeared from custody at the same court on Thursday and admitted failing to appear for an earlier hearing and breaching his community service order by refusing to carry out the unpaid work.

Sheriff Ian Anderson asked if Johnston was willing to do the work rather than go to jail.

After consulting Johnston, lawyer Peter Mullin told the court: "He continues to be unwilling to engage in his community service order."

Johnston was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, back-dated to July 26.