Told to have no contact with woman for a year

Mark Reid persistently rang the woman and went to her home in Shieldhill uninvited three times between March 6 and March 9 this year.

At Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday the 30-year-old from 23 Parkhall Drive, Maddiston, was placed on a supervised community payback order for two years and told to complete 120 hours unpaid work in six months.

Sheriff Christopher Shead also told Reid to attend a domestic abuse programme and imposed a non harassment order which will prevent him having any contact with her for 12 months.

Procurator fiscal depute Graham McLachlan told the court: “This was a bit of an on-off relationship. When she started receiving the calls on her mobile phone from a number she recognised she spoke to her mum about her concerns and the police were contacted. She told them she was fearful.

“The gist of the messages was him asking her for the okay to see the children.”

Reid had been placed on bail by the court on February 28 with conditions that included staying out of Shieldhill and contacting her.

Defence lawyer John Mulholland said: “All he wanted to do was discuss arrangements for seeing the children.”

At the same court, James McCroary (30), from 45 Broomage Crescent, Larbert, was placed on two community orders and told to complete a total of 140 hours in six months for breaching bail conditions by contacting a woman at her home in Merchiston Gardens, Falkirk, on September 14 and 16 last year.

The bail had been part of a deferred sentence imposed on McCroary after he was arrested in Merchison Gardens last August 9 for threatening and abusive behaviour and resisting police officers.

The court was told on that day he had started a “shouting match” with a neighbour he claimed had borrowed his bike without his permission. When police arrived he struggled violently with then.

Defence lawyer Willie McIntyre claimed: “He was with his brothers and got intoxicated. He’s a very amiable person when he is not drunk.”