Alarming message left Falkirk mum fearing the worst

When officers raced to Scott Penman’s home to investigate they found the youngsters aged five and six safe and well - but Penman admitted: “I said I was going to hurt myself and the kids, but she knew I would not do it.”

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that the drama on November 7 last year was the result of a “fall out” between the couple.

Defence lawyer Willie McIntyre told the court: “He does have regular contact with the children. On this occasion they said they wanted to stay with him and he tried to contact her.”

Mr McIntyre said Penman, from 15 Gilchrist Drive, Bantaskin, takes medication for “various” issues.

He added: “He has outbursts that he does not understand himself. He goes off the rails and overreacts. He has apologised to her.”

At a previous hearing Penman had pled guilty to sending grossly offensive messages to the woman, driving on Gichrist Drive that day with a provisional licence and without supervision and breaching bail by going to his partner’s home on November 9 and November 15. Sentence was deferred for reports.

On the road traffic charge, Mr McIntyre said: “The car was co-owned by him and a friend. The idea was he would do work on the vehicle, it would be sold and they would share the profits.”

Sheriff Linda Smith warned Penman he was close to being jailed for his behaviour.

She said: “He acts without thinking, has a history of 
domestic violence and his record with community payback orders is poor. There is no point in putting him on an order if he is not going to learn from it. He has to start following through with the orders of the court.”

However, the sheriff opted to give the 26-year-old another chance.

Placing him on a supervised community payback order for 18 months with the added condition he complete 180 hours unpaid work in six months, she told him: “If you do not stop doing things like this there will come a time you will be sent to jail.”

The sheriff called for a progress report to be prepared for March 17 – and said she expected it to be “glowing”.

For the road traffic offence she imposed a second order for another 20 hours work to be done in two months and endorsed his licence.