A HAVE-A-GO Greenock councillor told today how he saw off a knife-carrying attacker who was assaulting a man outside the town’s Municipal Buildings.

Ciano Rebecchi bravely stepped in as violent blade carrier Robert Clark booted and punched grounded victim George McAlpine on the head and body in broad daylight.

Councillor Rebecchi went outside and confronted Clark, 37, after being told by a local authority staffer that it appeared that a man was being stabbed in Clyde Square.

The elected member for the Inverclyde South West ward told the Telegraph: “I was looking at the guy who was being attacked and his face looked a right mess.

“I said to the other guy, ‘Look, he’s had enough — see him another time’.

“I thought that they’d fallen out over a female who was standing there screaming.

“I told the guy who was doing the attacking to get to hell and I pushed him away from the guy.”

Clark — who now has five weapons convictions, including gun and axe offences — knocked Mr McAlpine to the ground and proceeded to repeatedly punch and kick him on the head and body to his injury. He is today beginning a near three-and-a-half year prison sentence following the shocking street attack, which was witnessed by numerous passers-by, as well as council workers.

Clark’s lawyer, Bob Mitchell, told Greenock Sheriff Court: “The complainer in this case and Mr Clark have something of a history.

“Mr Clark’s father, who is now dead, was the victim of an assault which he believes was carried out by the complainer.”

Solicitor Mr Mitchell acknowledged that the matter was ‘serious’, but added: “He has previous for possession of a knife, but he has never assaulted anyone with a knife.

“And in this instance the knife was not used.”

However, Councillor Rebecchi believes that Clark may well have used the blade had he not tackled him.

He told the Telegraph: “I think it could have got more serious because the guy did have that knife on him.

“The adrenalin was pumping a bit, but I was quite calm after I realised that the other guy hadn’t been stabbed.”

Councillor Rebecchi said: “I was in the Municipal Building and as I was walking along a staff member said to me that she thought someone had been stabbed outside.

“I thought at first that the man who was there was helping the guy on the ground, then I realised that he wasn’t helping him at all.”

Prosecutor Claire Nicholls told the court how Clark attacked Mr McAlpine shortly after ten o’clock on the morning of September 7.

The fiscal depute said: “Mr McAlpine was with his partner when they heard a voice shouting towards him. It was that of the accused who was noted to be highly agitated. 

“Staff within the council building were aware of the incident and observed the accused raise his right hand above Mr McAlpine and punch him on the face.

“It was noted that the accused had a black-handled knife with him in his other hand as he assaulted the complainer, who fell to the ground. The accused continued the assault by punching and kicking him to his head and body.

“The witness Rebecchi attended at the accused as he was assaulting Mr McAlpine and the accused thereafter made off.

“CCTV operators tracked the accused and the knife was later recovered following a ground search.”

The court heard that Clark is due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on December 16, charged with another assault against Mr McAlpine. 

He was jailed for five years in 2008 after appearing at the High Court on a firearm charge.

Sheriff Derek Hamilton sentenced Clark to 41 months imprisonment over the assault.

The lawman told him: “This is your fifth conviction for having a weapon.of some sort.

“Your previous convictions have not deterred you from carrying a knife on this occasion. Custody is the only option.”