A MURDER bid man's mother who made threats during a series of unlawful 999 calls on the day the Tele reported his High Court conviction has been warned by a sheriff to behave herself.

Rosaleen Sutherland 'persistently' used the emergency services hotline in the wake of her son, Lenny Cole, being found guilty of an horrific machete daylight street attack in the town.

Sutherland, 51, stated during her flurry of booze-fuelled late night calls last month: "That was being smart to Leonard's mother. Watch what Leonard does now."

Cole, 23 — who is due to be sentenced on Monday — sliced open the neck of Shaun Charles, 23, and left him fighting for life on Union Street with blood gushing from a gaping blade wound.

A jury found Cole not guilty of a subsequent attempted murder on Reece Warnock, 18 — now deceased — which was carried out by his half-brother Andrew Sutherland, while Cole punched and kicked the teenager.

Their mother admitted a charge of illegal use of the 999 system for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety — and to making 'idle threats'.

Prosecutor Raeesa Ahmed told the sheriff court: "She made reference to her son being in the Greenock Telegraph that day.

"The accused was reassured by officers [who went to her home] that police constantly patrol Inverclyde and there was no justification for her having used the 999 system in this way."

Sutherland made the calls between 11pm on January 20 and 1am on January 21.

Her lawyer said: "She is a woman who has lived on her own in recent years.

"Her two sons are elsewhere and she is separated from her husband.

"Her property was previously subjected to two fire bombings which were documented well locally and nationally.

"Following an extensive police inquiry a number of persons are to be prosecuted at the High Court."

Her lawyer described his client as 'somewhat of a prisoner in her own home'.

He said: "At times she has felt unsafe within the confines of her own address and has reached out for assistance.

"This is not an excuse for what she did but gives something of an insight into her mindset."

The court heard that Sutherland had consumed alcohol on the evening of the calls.

She was previously placed on a community payback order (CPO) last October after threatening to have a police officer decapitated.

She hurled verbal abuse at two PCs who had arrived at her home to check on her welfare, and shouted: "I'll have you two murdered, and your families.

"Lenny is getting out in two weeks and he'll petrol bomb your houses, and yous will be getting slashed.

"My Lenny will cut the head right off you."

Sutherland's lawyer said his client had 'adhered fully' to a supervision order imposed for that offence, adding: "She has attended all appointments, presents well and has never been aggressive.

"This appears to have been a blip during the currency of that order.

"She has another deferred sentence on April 13."

Sheriff Michael Higgins commented on the 'positive' background report before the court and deferred sentence on Sutherland until August 10, for her to be of good behaviour.

The sheriff told her: "The emergency services number is for emergencies.

"This is something you cannot repeat."