A DRUMRY man has appeared in court and admitted arming himself with an axe and kicking in the front door of a flat to retrieve a games console he claimed was his.

Robbie McKelvie, 24, of Onslow Road, Clydebank, pleaded guilty at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Tuesday of breaking into a flat at Cleddans View on June 21 last year.

Procurator fiscal depute Sarah Healing said: “It was 8.15pm and the occupants across the landing were aware of a knock at the front door. The door was answered by [the witness] and she observed the accused standing in the doorway. He asked for someone named Willie and she informed him it was the door across the landing. As she was speaking she saw an axe in his right hand and closed the door and told her daughter to phone the police. Another witness was returning from the shops and saw the accused standing on the landing of the first floor – he then asked him if he was Willie.”

The second witness noticed that McKelvie also had what might have been a hammer. McKelvie then kicked in the front door of the property belonging to the man he was looking for and entered.

When police arrived they found McKelvie standing in the hallway. He was immediately detained and searched but no weapon was found. The officers then spotted an axe lying on top of a plastic bag in the hall. There were three plastic bags which contained an Xbox games console, two Xbox controllers and a number of games. They also contained a laptop and DVDs.

McKelvie, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time, was arrested and told the cops: “I just done the door because Willie has my Xbox”. He was removed from the premises and taken to hospital for treatment to a cut on his forehead.

When the flat’s occupier returned to his home he confirmed that the items in the bags belonged to him and he had given no-one permission to enter his flat.

Realising that background reports would be called for before sentencing, defence solicitor Kenny Clark told the court that he would reserve most of his comments for his client’s next court appearance.

Sheriff William Gallacher told McKelvie: “These are very serious matters indeed and I can’t send you to prison without getting these reports – but that is at the very top of my mind.”

Sentence was deferred until June 7.