A LARGS man receiving more than £1,400 a month in benefits who threatened to murder his 75-year-old neighbour has been fined £290 — and allowed to pay at a rate of £10-a-week.

Kenneth Dowden told police he would stab the elderly man to death after learning that it was him who called officers over an alleged noise nuisance in the early hours of the morning.

Dowden — whom a court heard has been diagnosed as schizophrenic — shouted and swore and stated: "This is a joke, I'm going to stab him. I'm going to murder him."

His pensioner neighbour was awoken shortly after 2am by noises and people coming and going from Dowden's flat.

Prosecutor Pamela Brady said: "Police arrived at 3.45am and didn't hear any noise coming from the accused's flat.

"He was arrested in relation to an alleged contravention of an anti-social behaviour order.

"The accused initially made no reply and other individuals were asked to leave the flat."

Dowden's lawyer, Frank Clarke, told the court that his client is in receipt of more than £1,400 per month in benefits, made up of £490 per fortnight in Universal Credit and a monthly Personal Independence Payment of £450.

Mr Clarke said: "He has been diagnosed as schizophrenic and receives a fortnightly injection of an anti-psychotic drug.

"He did not directly threaten his neighbour.

"It was obviously not a serious threat but he accepts how a reasonable person would react to that.

"It was an outburst in the heat of the moment, having been told that his neighbour had called the police."

Dowden, of Gateside Street, committed the offence on September 1 last year when he lived on Sir Michael Street in Greenock.

He pleaded guilty on the day he was due to stand trial on the matter.

Greenock Sheriff Court was told that he has two pending criminal matters at the court for an alleged breach of a nighttime curfew and a charge of shoplifting.

Sheriff Joseph Hughes told Dowden: "You pleaded guilty at a late stage.

"I hope you know that was a very, very serious thing you were saying."