Martin O'Donnell also refused to provide police with a sample when he was arrested.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that an August 7 last year, around 11pm, O'Donnell was at his girlfriend's house where they had been drinking since around 8pm.

An argument broke out and he decided to leave.

Meanwhile, cops received a call from a neighbour to say a male wearing no top and only shorts was in the close shouting and swearing.

The caller said the man was struggling to walk but had entered the driver's side of a white car and had driving away.

Around 2.05am police then received a call from another member of the public who said a male was outside shouting and only wearing boxers.

This person also said the man, later identified as O'Donnell, had entered a white car and driven away.

Officers checked the licence plate of the car and found O'Donnell, from Possilpark, to be the owner.

A search of the area was carried out but he was not traced.

Shortly later, around 2.20am, another neighbour was woken up by a man shouting, "F****** let me in, I have told all the neighbours I have paid your f****** rent" and calling the name of the girlfriend.

Cops arrived and found the 37-year-old carrying a blue plastic bag.

He said to them, "I wasn't driving" despite the fact the officers had not mentioned they thought he had been behind the wheel.

He added: "The keys are in the car."

Officers searched O'Donnell and found a silver handled Stanley knife in the plastic bag.

He was taken to Cathcart police station.

Police also listened to the 999 call from a member of the public and in the background O'Donnell could be heard shouting: "Let me in you f****** reprobate, let me in", "I paid your debts for f****** months, f***** let me in" and "dirty b****".

While O'Donnell gave a first specimen at the police station to check his level of intoxication, he then refused to provide a further sample.

His defence brief said that, while he does have a "minor record" for driving offences and breach of the peace, this was "out of character" for him.

The lawyer said: "He does have a historical issue with drugs, notably cocaine, and he had combined drugs with alcohol recreationally.

"He is extremely ashamed."

O'Donnell, who the court heard is employed at a flooring company, needs to be able to drive for his work.

Losing his licence will mean he loses his job and, his solicitor said, will mean he must sign on for benefits.

He added: "This had been a significant wake up call and he has no intention of repeating this behaviour."

The lawyer said the Stanley knife is used in the course of O'Donnell's work and it had been in the plastic bag ready for him to take to a job the next day.

Though the defence brief conceded this was no excuse to be carrying it around at 2am while drunk.

The court heard the couple is still together and his girlfriend did not support a non-harassment order.

Sheriff Jonathan Guy gave O'Donnell a direct alternative to custody by putting him on a community payback order with one year supervision.

He will carry out 225 hours of unpaid work and is disqualified from driving for one year.