A MAN threatened to shoot a stranger in front of his child after he accused him of taking his cigarettes.

The 49-year-old victim was returning home from a walk with his daughter when Robert Graham approached him in Scotstoun, on April 21, last year.

Prosecutor Jennifer Gilmour told Glasgow Sheriff Court: “The man discovered a half-empty bottle of vodka on the pavement near to his house.

“He heard the accused, who is unknown to him, shouting from further down the street.

“The accused aggressively approached the man and asked, ‘did you take my fags?’

“The man told the accused that he had no idea what he was talking about and gave him the bottle of vodka.

“The accused started to become more aggressive. He stood up next to the face of the man and began to shout threats including, ‘I’ll shoot you, I know where you live, I will slash you, I have murdered people before’.

Glasgow Times:

“He was intoxicated and pointing aggressively towards the man.

“The man repeated that he did not take the accused’s fags and he replied ‘I’ll just slash you then’.”

As the man began to walk away from Graham and towards his home, Graham continued to direct abuse at him.

He shouted: “You’re walking away from me now. That’s it, you’re not off the hook anymore. I’m going to shoot you.”

Graham, whose address was listed as homeless accommodation, then threw the bottle of vodka towards the man’s home.

Police were called by the man’s wife, who was standing at their front door.

Graham appeared in court for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to acting in a threatening and abusive manner and uttering threats of violence.

His lawyer explained that her client had spent time in custody for a separate matter since this offence and had been released earlier this year.

Sheriff Patricia Pryce asked the Crown how old the child who witnessed the incident was, but this information was not available.

The sheriff said: “I want to know how old his daughter is because, for me, it’s important. Your client has got a horrendous record.”

The case will recall on July 28.