A MAN who sparked a fire alert at a Greenock homeless unit after refusing to leave his accommodation has been given a jail warning.

Robert Skilling hurled foul-mouthed abuse and threats towards staff at the Inverclyde Centre on Dalrymple Street and barred them from entering his smoke-filled room.

He told one worker who wanted him out of the premises: “I’m going to track you.” Skilling, 36 — who had burned food in his room — also demanded a ‘square go’ with other centre employees, Greenock Sheriff Court was told.

Prosecutor Pamela Brady said: “The accused was residing at the Inverclyde Centre for a number of months.

“Due to certain difficulties he had been asked to move out but refused to do so.

“He was still within his room at 5.40pm when a fire alarm was activated and the building had to be evacuated.

“He still refused to leave the centre.” Fiscal depute Mrs Brady added that Skilling launched into a ‘tirade’ against staff.

She said: “The accused met staff on the stairs and told them that he was not leaving the building and they were not going into his room. The police were contacted and the accused was detained.” The court heard how firefighters were called to the centre on 3 February but found no blaze in Skilling’s room.

Defence lawyer Aidan Gallagher said: “He was being asked to leave but had nowhere to go.

“He decided to make some food in his room, fried some bacon and then smoked filled the room.

“He had concern regarding his belongings, which are everything he owns.” Sheriff Ian Fleming noted that Skilling is on an array of prescription medication.

He deferred sentence for him to be of good behaviour and for the court to acquire an update on an existing community payback order (CPO).

The sheriff told Skilling: “If you are not of good behaviour or you don’t co-operate regarding the CPO then I will send you to custody.” Skilling, of no fixed abode, is due back in court on 29 April.