A THUG who robbed a woman of her £51,500 Porsche car at knifepoint and hours later wrote it off after crashing into a police car was today jailed for four and a half years.

Judge Lord Mulholland told Ryan Gilmour, 27, who was on early release from prison, that he was “a menace to society” and banned him from driving for 13 and a half years.

Lord Mulholland said: “The public have to be protected from your criminality.”

Co-accused Garry Clark, who robbed a man at knifepoint in Erskine was jailed for four and a half years.

The High Court in Glasgow heard that Gilmour was lurking nearby when Lindsey Cartwright, 47, drove into the driveway of her Patrick home at 6.25 pm on November 28, last year.

Gilmour and an unidentified accomplice, who was brandishing a knife with a 30 centimetre blade, told at the terrified woman: “Give us the keys.”

Mrs Cartwright threw the keys at them and then shouted for help and her husband ran from their home.

Prosecutor Lindsay Dalziel said: “At this point his wife was telling him it 'wasn't worth it” and 'he had a knife.'

“Both witnesses then saw the Porsche being driven at speed out of their driveway.”

Around 10 pm the Porsche Macan was parked at Bridgewater Shopping Centre in Erskine where it hit into and blocked in Daniel Brain, 30, who had been shopping at a nearby supermarket.

Mr Brain approached Garry Clark, 33, who was in the drivers' seat and said: “You just hit my car.”

When Mr Brain bent down to examine the damage to his car and take a photo of it he felt a sharp implement being held against his back by Clark who said: Get tae f*** or I'll stick this in you.'

He later noticed a pair of sunglasses, a phone adaptor and a mobile phone and its power cable were missing from his car.

At 12.05am police on patrol saw the Macan coming over the brow of a hill.

It was being driven at speed and was on the wrong side of the road overtaking another car.

Ms Dalziel said: The police vehicle stopped in an effort to avoid a collision. The accused Gilmour, who was driving, lost control of the Porsche and crashed into the police car.

The police car was pushed a considerable distance downhill by the force of the crash. It was substantially damaged and the passenger doors would not open.

Both police officers suffered bruising and soft tissue injuries.

Gilmour admitted robbing Mrs Cartwright of her car at knifepoint in the driveway of her home in Banavie Road, on November 28, last year.

He also pled guilty to careless driving by failing to stop when signalled to do so by police officers, driving on the wrong side of the road and losing control of the car which crashed into a police car. In Fulton Street, Glasgow, on November 29, last year.

His co-accused Clark, 33, of Ferryden Court, Glasgow, admitted assaulting Mr Brain by holding a knife or similar instrument against his body and threatening him with it and robbing him of a mobile phone, a phone charger and a pair of sunglasses. At Bridgewater Shopping Centre on November 28, 2018.

Gilmour, who is a disqualified driver, has 12 previous convictions and two pending cases which include assault to permanent disfigurement, possession of a knife and various road traffic offences.

He was released early on April 18, last year. The expiry date of his sentence should have been December 17, last year.

Clark has five previous convictions including domestic abduction and assault with a knife.

He was also released early from prison on October 27, 2017. His sentence was due to end on November 12, last year.

Defence counsel for both men said that they had shown remorse for their actions.