A THUG ran at his sister and punched her after she asked him to leave her home due to his drunken behaviour.

Graeme Shanks left his sibling with a cut face as well as swelling and redness.

The 25-year-old had been charged with 'repeatedly' punching the woman but this was removed as part of a negotiated guilty plea.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard how he had earlier snatched a mobile phone from a man and smashed a cereal bowl on the ground.

Prosecutor Hazel Emmerson said: "The accused had been drinking alcohol.

"He ran towards his sister and punched her on the face, injuring her, leaving a small cut and swelling and redness to the side of her face.

"Shocked, she contacted her aunt in a distressed state and was advised to call the police."

Shanks, of Cumberland Road in Larkfield, committed the offences at a property on Oronsay Avenue, Port Glasgow, in February.

Defence lawyer Edel McGinty told how her client is now involved in an 'anger behaviour and change programme' with social services.

Miss McGinty conceded that Sheriff Thomas Ward would have 'concern' about Shanks because he was previously on a community payback order for a domestic offence.

The solicitor added: "The background report is perhaps not glowing in its terms."

"However, there appears to be now a degree of maturity and level of understanding on Mr Shanks' part.

"He now has unsupervised weekly contact with his children."

Sheriff Ward fined Shanks £360 and ordered him to pay at a rate of £20 per week.