A MAN caught clutching a kitchen knife with a bloodstained tea-towel wrapped around his hand during a heated family argument has been jailed.

Stuart McIntyre, 34, and relatives sparked a 2am call to police as a row within a ground floor flat in Greenock spilled out into the common close.

An officer drew his incapacitant spray and ordered McIntyre — who has numerous weapons convictions — to drop the blade.

The sheriff court heard how McIntyre, his brother, his cousin and his cousin's girlfriend had been drinking together when trouble flared.

There had been a 'stand-off' between his brother and cousin in the kitchen of the Inverkip Street property, with one of them brandishing a knife at the other.

Defence lawyer Edward Sweeney said: "Mr McIntyre removed the knife from the individual who had it and, in the process of doing that, sustained a cut to his finger.

"He threw it into the hallway.

"The argument between his brother and his cousin temporarily calmed down but then reignited.

"Both men were at the front door of the flat and the knife was lying between them at their feet, I am told.

"Mr McIntyre picked it up to avoid either of the two men doing so and the argument moved out into the common close.

"He did cross the threshold of the flat into the common close with the knife in his left hand."

Mr Sweeney added: "Mr McIntyre tells me that he is unaware to this day what the argument was about.

"He threw the knife back into the flat after the police arrived."

McIntyre had stayed out of trouble for four years prior to committing his latest offence last October.

He stated to the police: "That will be me back in prison for having that knife."

Solicitor Mr Sweeney said: "It has to be acknowledged that Mr McIntyre has a fairly significant record of previous convictions which does him no favours whatsoever, and will be of some significance to the disposal of this case.

"However, in my submission the circumstances here are comparatively unusual."

Sheriff Joseph Hughes sentenced McIntyre to 15 months imprisonment, backdated to October 21 last year when he was first remanded in custody.

The sheriff told him: "I have listened very carefully to the explanation given and I note that you have been out of trouble since approximately November of 2015.

"However, you do have a very worrying set of previous convictions and you are no stranger to convictions for possession of knives."