Mum-to-be awoke to find Bonnybridge offender looking at her and holding a knife

Hayden Black (25) accused the woman of being unfaithful to him and questioned if he was the father of her baby during the encounter.

Black, 47 Norwood Avenue, Bonnybridge, appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted behaving in a threatening manner, brandishing a knife at addresses in High Street, Bonnybridge and Kirkland Drive, Stoneywood on December 27, 2018. He also pled guilty to possessing class A drug cocaine in High Street, Bonnybridge on the same day.

Ann Orr, procurator fiscal depute, said: “The accused and the victim had been in a relationship for just over a year and were living together in High Street, Bonnybridge on December 27.

“The accused had been drinking more or less since Christmas and accused his partner of having been unfaithful to him. She denied this and asked him to leave. At the time she was 17 weeks pregnant with her child.

“The accused would not leave. She said she was going to phone either the police or her mother to get him to leave. He said he wasn’t leaving and she began to scream telling him to leave.

“Matters calmed down and she fell asleep. When she woke up the accused was still there, staring at her. He asked her to tell him what she hadn’t been telling him about the baby not being his.

“He approached her with a Stanley knife in his hand and held it towards her. She screamed and asked her to leave and he walked out. She also left the property at that time and attended at a pub and tried to phone for assistance from her mother.

“She then saw the accused in the area. He came into the pub and there was some discussion. She said she was going to get a taxi to her mother’s house. The accused continued to be aggressive with her.

“He made threats saying he was going to smash the windows of the house with a hammer. Police were contacted and the accused was arrested and searched. He told officers he had ‘got some Charlie’ on him and handed over his wallet which contained a packet of white power.

“It was a small amount of cocaine with a street value of between £20 and £50.”

The court heard the relationship was apparently still going on.

Defence solicitor Simon Hutchison said: “He has turned his life around following the birth of his son and taken steps to take himself away from drug use. The couple seem to have cemented their relationship.

“I have known Mr Black for some years and he certainly seems to have a better attitude now than he ever did before.”

Mr Hutchison added Black had started his own business and had two employees.

Sheriff Derek Hamilton asked for evidence of Black’s business and warned him custody was a real possibility.

He said: “I want all the information before me before I make a decision.”

Sentence was deferred for a week to allow the information to be gathered.