A DUNBAR man who was caught with three knives while he sat outside the town’s police station has had his sentence deferred for him to be of good behaviour.

Jason Stewart claimed he had armed himself with the blades after threats had been made to his family.

Police had become alerted to the situation after Stewart, of Lammermuir Crescent, called the 101 non-emergency police number to inform them of the threats and that he was making his way to his local police station.

Officers made their way to the High Street office, where they spotted Stewart sitting at the doorway with the three weapons laid out in front of him.

The officers saw that 27-year-old Stewart had been drinking alcohol and became aware he was becoming “agitated” by their presence.

Previously, fiscal depute Ann MacNeill told the court that Stewart called the non-emergency line at about 2.40am on April 12 last year.

Ms MacNeill said: “Accused phoned 101 and told the call handler he was outside Dunbar Police Station and had received threats. He had a number of knives at his feet.

“Officers attended at the scene and they saw the accused with three knives at his feet. He was agitated and had been drinking – the officers then took hold of him.”

The fiscal added that Stewart then began struggling with police and shouted: “I wanted help and you f***ing lift me.”

Defence solicitor Jonathan Campbell said that his client had a “long-standing alcohol problem” and was currently attending the Ritzen Clinic for treatment.

Mr Campbell told the court that Stewart had received calls from an unknown source threatening to “kill and rape his parents” and had taken the knives for protection.

During Monday’s court hearing, Stewart, who had pleaded guilty to three charges, was told by Sheriff Frank Crowe that he would be sentenced on October 10 for him to prove his good behaviour.

Stewart admitted possessing three kitchen knives on April 12, 2015. He also pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and threatening police inside a police van and failing to appear for a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on December 22.