A WEAPONS offender with convictions for carrying hammers and knives chased a man along a Greenock street whilst brandishing a blade.

Colin Grant stopped his car and got out to pursue the man on Ingleston Street after he 'made a gesture' towards him, the sheriff court was told.

Grant, 29, was on bail on charges allegedly involving a machete and a baseball bat at the time of the incident on February 15.

Prosecutor Laura Wilcox told the court: "At 1pm the accused was travelling in a red Fiesta on Ingleston Street.

"CCTV captured the incident and showed a group of males, one of whom made a gesture.

"The accused turned the vehicle, exited it, crossed the road and ran towards the males in a threatening manner whilst brandishing a black-handled knife.

"Police arrived to find the accused in the driver's seat of the car and officers detained him and recovered the knife and 70 etizolam tablets."

Grant pleaded guilty to indictment charges of assaulting a man by presenting a knife and pursuing him.

He also admitted unlawful possession of the blade and having the etizolam pills, commonly known as street valium.

Defence lawyer David Tod said that his client accepted there was 'likely to be only one outcome' in the case.

Mr Tod added: "A number of his [previous] convictions are related to mental health difficulties where he would turn up at the police station and state that he was in possession of a weapon in order to be arrested."

Turning to Grant's latest offences, Mr Tod said: "There were people who threatened him and he got out of the car and there was an exchange.

"He has then lost interest and got back in the car.

"After he was arrested those involved in the altercation came back and gave him abuse again.

"He accepts that he has a problem with regard to his use of etizolam."

Sheriff Joseph Hughes has deferred sentence on Grant until June 30 for a background report and an electronic tagging assessment.