A CONVICTED killer caught brazenly smoking cannabis in front of police in the street has been spared prison because it was his first offence in five months since his release from his last jail term.

Stephen Shields — who was most recently locked up for a vicious head-kicking assault on a woman — was puffing on a joint in Port Glasgow's Oronsay Avenue, when patrol officers spotted him.

Shields, 38, stubbed it out on the ground and then obstructed officers from carrying out a drug search by placing a piece of cannabis resin in his mouth and swallowing it.

He was previously sentenced to six years imprisonment for carrying out a fatal stabbing in the Port's Rona Avenue in 2003.

Prosecutor Frankie Morgan said of Shields' latest offences, committed on January 23: "This was 10.30am when police on patrol observed the accused at the locus, which is a residential area.

"Officers saw him smoking what appeared to be a reefer and there was a smell of cannabis.

"The accused was detained for a search.

"He was asked to put the joint out.

"He bent over and stubbed it on the ground and handed it to an officer.

"As he did so, he removed an item from his pocket, placed it in his mouth and swallowed it.

"The accused stated, 'It was just a bit for a joint — I should have given it to you'."

Shields pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis resin and to intentionally obstructing three police officers.

His not guilty plea to a charge of struggling violently with the PCs was accepted.

Shields, formally of Port Glasgow but now residing in Inverkip Street, Greenock, was also jailed in 2011 for a brutal baseball attack on a man.

He served his latest sentence last year after being found guilty of savagely punching and booting a woman in the Port's Pladda Avenue.

Shields punched her on the head, caused her to fall to the ground, sat on top of her, seized her throat, repeatedly punched her on the body and kicked her on the head, all to her injury.

In 2003 he stabbed William Lyall, who was dating his sister at the time, twice — severing one of his arteries and causing him to bleed to death.

Sheriff Lindsay Kooner noted that there has been 'nothing since his release from custody last August'.

The sheriff fined Shields a total of £385 for the cannabis offences.