A DRUG dealer from Renfrew who attacked a man with a bottle has been spared prison.

John Thomson, who previously received a five-year stretch at the High Court for dealing drugs, targeted William Mason in Lyle Crescent, Bishopton.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard that tempers flared after boozed-up Thomson spotted Mr Mason in the street and started shouting abuse at him.

Mr Mason, who owns his own gardening business, was going to carry out some landscaping work on Sunday, June 18, last year when the incident took place.

What had started out as verbal abuse turned to violence as Thomson tried to hit him with an empty bottle of vodka.

Mr Mason managed to grab Thomson’s wrist, wrestled the bottle from his grasp and the police were contacted.

Thomson, 48, of Vennacher Road, earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of assault, upon deletion of claims he successfully struck Mr Mason on the body with the bottle, and returned to the dock last week to learn his fate.

Sheriff David Pender could have jailed him for the offence but instead placed him on an 18-month Community Payback Order which will see him supervised by social workers and carry out 300 hours of unpaid work in the next year.