Bo’ness man brandished bike forks at neighbours during altercation

Steven Martin (36) of Corbiehall admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner likely to cause fear and alarm.

He shouted, swore, kicked a door, brandished pieces of metal and uttered threats of violence and racial remarks on July 17 last year at his home address.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard Martin had also failed to pay a fine for a previous offence.

Fiscal depute Jamie Roy said the incident involving Martin and his neighbours occurred at around 8.30pm on the evening in question.

He continued: “Two witnesses were in their home address and became aware of the accused shouting from his own window calling one of them a grass.

“In response, the witness told him he was paranoid and that he did not report him and shut his window.”

Mr Roy said that a short time later another witnesses was outside hanging her washing out when the accused also called her “a grass”.

“She was fearful and went back inside,” he said.

“Shortly after both witnesses heard a loud bang to their front door as if it was being kicked in.

“This attracted the attention of other neighbours who asked the accused what he was doing and he began shouting abuse at both of them.

“Both of them were of Lithuanian origin and the accused started shouting at them to ‘go back to where they came from’.

“The accused was asked to leave them alone but he then got bike forks and swung them at one of the witnesses.

“The witness avoided being struck by pushing the accused away with his foot.

“The accused was then seen to leave the locus at that point.”

Sheriff Derek Livingston placed Martin on a community payback order for six months and told him he must carry out 210 hours of work within that time. A further review was also scheduled to take place on August 23.