A Blantyre man caught with an illegal spray claimed he carried it for protection after his brother was murdered and he was attacked.
Patrick Morrison, 37, of Springwell Crescent, admitted an offence under the Firearms Act when he appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week.
Neil Thomson, prosecuting, said police officers found a canister of pava spray in the boot of his car.
The substance, which causes severe pain to the eyes, is used by police to subdue rowdy prisoners.
The court heard Morrison and other individuals were being watched by officers in Donaldson Street, Hamilton, on October 9, 2019.
They decided to search him after he got out of the car.
Asked why he had the spray, Morrison replied: "It's for my own protection.
"I carry it because I got my door kicked in, slashed and stabbed.
"My brother was murdered by the same people who are still walking around the streets."
Mr Thomson said Morrison told the officers he bought the spray at the Barras market in Glasgow a few months previously.
The fiscal added: "It contains an irritant and is a prohibited weapon in terms of the Firearms Act."
Sheriff Thomas Millar deferred sentence until next month for a criminal justice social work report and an electronic tagging assessment.
Morrison had his bail continued.
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