A shoplifter caught with a jar of ammonia claimed he used the corrosive substance to create crack cocaine.
Dylan Gibson assured a sheriff he hadn’t intended to use the liquid as a weapon.
He was jailed for a year the day before his 27th birthday, but the sentence was backdated due to time spent in custody after his arrest.
That meant he was likely to be freed immediately.
Gibson admitted carrying a corrosive substance and acting in a threatening or abusive manner in Loudonhill Avenue, Hamilton, on July 20.
He also admitted stealing a bottle of spirits from the Co-op in Mill Road, Hamilton, eight days earlier.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard police were looking for Gibson after the shoplifting episode and spotted him in a car park.
He was caught after a short chase and a small spice jar containing liquid was found in his trousers pocket.
Forensic analysis confirmed it was ammonia.
Gibson began to shout and swear as he was arrested, yelling ‘I’m going to kill all of them when I get out of jail’. It’s not clear to whom he was directing the threat.
The incidents happened just weeks after he had completed a two-year sentence for attempted robbery at a shop. Defence lawyer Eddie Robertson said Gibson has drug issues and at the time was taking crack cocaine.
Mr Robertson told the court: “There was a teaspoon-sized amount of ammonia in the jar. This is used in the process of heating powdered cocaine to convert it to the rock substance that is crack cocaine.”
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