AN ALLOA man has been told to expect jail time if he fails to comply with court-ordered supervision.

Bernard Lafferty (37) was convicted for drug possession after police turned his Lambert Terrace flat on 18 August 2013.

When questioned, he admitted to having the substances on him and handed over around £300 worth of cannabis and diazepam.

Lafferty appeared at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday (26 February) where he was told the system was running out of alternatives to deal with him.

The court had heard that Lafferty has a previous record of failing to adhere to court orders and Sheriff Collins remained reluctant to impose another.

He said: “He has a record of relatively minor offences, but there are a lot of them.

“Sending him to prison for this would be harsh but there is a lack of alternatives before the court.

He then asked his defence agent Kelly Howe: “What is the alternative to custody here?” Ms Howe suggested the court could consider a further community disposal with a focus on formal supervision measures.

She added: “He completed a number of hours in the early stages of the order and he is not one to use his medical condition as an excuse not to finish those hours or to attend the supervision meetings.” Sheriff Collins then turned to Lafferty and reluctantly imposed a community order.

He said: “I feel the appropriate course of action in this case would be to revoke the current order and impose a new one with a supervision requirement.

“If you wish to avoid the court imposing a custodial sentence then you have to engage with this order.

“You are simply running out of alternatives here.”