A LOUT who 'quite awfully' hampered the Alesha MacPhail murder inquiry by targeting and vandalising a police vehicle has been jailed.

Darren Fisher jumped on the squad car with cohort Liam Kelly and punctured one of its tyres as officers involved in the investigation into Alesha's horrific death waited to board a ferry.

Both yobs — who earlier caused havoc in the Station Bar at Wemyss Bay — took selfies photos in the midst of their outrageous behaviour before Fisher made a 'jabbing motion' at the tyre.

In sending him to prison, Sheriff Andrew McIntyre told him: "I'm afraid that the offence is just too serious.

"This was a stressful and very important exercise that the police were undertaking.

"It was quite awful what you did."

Co-accused Kelly will be dealt with at a later date because he was at a court elsewhere to be sentenced on a separate criminal matter.

Prosecutor Pamela Brady told a previous calling of the case: "Due to a very serious incident being investigated on Bute, numerous police vehicles were to be used in assisting with inquiries.

"Police were dealing with the murder of Alesha MacPhail."

Fisher, 25, and Kelly, 22, smirked after pleading guilty between them to threatening and abusive behaviour in the pub, demanding money, making offensive and sectarian remarks, jumping on a police car and striking and damaging it with an unknown object.

They committed the offences on the night of July 5 last year.

Six-year-old Alesha was brutally murdered by evil Aaron Campbell, 17, who is now serving a minimum 24-year sentence.

Fisher's lawyer, David Tod, told his sentencing hearing at Greenock Sheriff Court: "These very unfortunate circumstances were caused by Mr Fisher's abuse of alcohol.

"If he had been sober he would not be in court today."

Mr Tod said that his client had undergone hospital tests with a view to being prescribed a drug called Disulfiram — more commonly known as Antabuse — which is given to people trying to give up booze but who are in danger of relapsing.

The solicitor added: "The offence happened some time ago when he was an alcoholic and drug addict, and that is being addressed."

Sheriff McIntyre told Fisher: "This was a terrible offence of public disorder, and you have a recent history of offences involving the emergency services.

"You were taking selfies on a police car and you disabled the vehicle."

Fisher, whose address was not given in court, pleaded guilty on the day he was due to stand trial.

He has been sentenced to nine months imprisonment.