A CUMNOCK man who was jailed for carrying a machete and a scalpel, has had nine months added to his prison term for breaching a community payback order.

John McTaggart was originally jailed for 32 months on February 14 this year after being caught with the weapons in Robert Burns Place and High Street in Mauchline, on September 20 last year.

At the time McTaggart was caught with the machete, the 32-year-old was on a Community Payback Order (CPO) for a separate rampage the previous year, in August 2017, when he was found to have challenged a man and woman to a fight in Beechwood Road, Mauchline.

Ayr Sheriff Court was also told McTaggart brandished a wooden pole and a knife at the man before chasing him to try and attack him.

The court heard he then attempted to strike the man with the weapons and tried to throw the pole at him.

At the time McTaggart was let off with a CPO for that offence, including an electronic tag, but following his 2018 machete conviction, he was hauled before the courts again last week for breaching that order.

Sheriff Desmond Leslie said the order had seemed to be working for McTaggart and that he was seizing the opportunity to get himself back on track but had now let himself down.

Sheriff Leslie told McTaggart: “ The signs we are encouraging.

“You were given a chance but you didn’t take that chance.

“You will now have nine months that will run consecutive to your prison sentence and the Community Payback Order is revoked.”