Denny thug threatened to torch house and attacked police officer

Binge drinking blacksmith Robert Alexander (33) was drunk when he made his threats to he ex and he ignored the court orders which had been put in place preventing him from having any contact with her.

He appeared from custody via video link at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, behaving in a threatening manner and breaching his bail conditions at an address in Brewster Place, Denny on September 21.

Fiona Griffin, procurator fiscal depute, said: “It was 5pm and the witness was in her home address when she heard banging coming from the rear of the premises. She could not see the rear of the flat but she heard the accused shouting himself.

"At 8:00pm the accused was again at the rear of the premises shouting. At 9:00pm the witnesses heard the accused shouting up towards them ‘I will burn your house down and your family's’ and ‘here we go, I will take youse all on’, while banging about at the rear of the premises.

"Police were then called and arrived at 10pm, tracing the accused to his own address of 17 Brewster Place. The rear kitchen door was lying open and police entered the property.

"They found the accused at the rear of one of the bedrooms. He was immediately aggressive and hostile towards officers and began jumping up and down. Officers grabbed his arms and the accused hit an officer to the groin area to his non injury.

"He struggled with police for five minutes and bit an officer to his hand, again to his non injury.”

Defence solicitor William McIntyre said there was a background to the offence and one of the witnesses in the case was Alexander’s ex-partner.

He added: “It was an acrimonious split up with allegations of his partner taking money from him – there was ill feeling there.”

Mr McIntyre stated Alexander, a blacksmith fabricator to trade, is a binge drinker on weekends and his address was in the same block as his ex partner at the time.

"He has previous convictions for domestic matters, all committed when he was drunk,” said Mr McIntyre.

The court heard Alexander has spent the last month in custody and planned to go and live with his brother in Stirling upon his release – “putting miles between him and the complainer”.

Sheriff Craig Harris said: “These are serious offences. The first charge involves vile threats to a former partner who has a non harassment order in place to protect her from you.

"You then assaulted a police officer – I appreciate there was no injury on this occasion. I don’t consider there is any real remorse shown here.”

He sentenced Alexander, 23 Cram Crescent, Stirling, to 160 days in prison back dated to September 29 and put a further non-harassment order in place for three years.

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