A LOCHGELLY man has been sent back to prison two and half years after he was released.

Even though Thomas Ferns hadn't committed any further offences since 2016, Sheriff Charles Macnair said he has breached the terms of his supervised release order by being drunk when he was supposed to be at an appointment.

Sheriff Macnair said the law only provided two options; do nothing or send the offender back to prison.

Defence solicitor, David McLoughlin, told Dunfermline Sheriff Court that the order had been complete, and his client had appeared to turn his life around.

He also said Ferns had secured an offer on employment.

The previous charges against Ferns, 32, were on various occasions between November 1, 2010 and January 31, 2011 at an address in Lochgelly, he did assault his then partner and did push her against a wall and attempt to punch her on the face, kick her on the body, repeatedly grab her by the body and pusher against walls, repeatedly grab her by the throat, repeatedly spit on her and repeatedly throw household items at her, all to her injury.

Also, on various occasions between October 29, 2010 and January 31, 2011, at an address in Lochgelly and elsewhere he did behave in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable to suffer fear or alarm in that in that he did shout and swear and utter offensive remarks towards his then partner, and on one occasion did kick a glass bottle causing it to break and shatter glass over the living room area.

And, on various occasions between November 14, 2005 and November 30, 2008, at an address in Cardenden and elsewhere, he did conduct himself in a disorderly manner and did repeatedly kick and smash items of furniture, punch door and walls damaging same, kick a television off it stand smashing same, throw household items, shout and swear and utter offensive remarks towards his then partner and kick a pet dog all to the fear and alarm of his then partner.

Also, on various occasions on January 1, 2007 and November 30, 2008, at an address in Cardenden and at Bowlplex, Fife Leisure Park, he did assault his then partner and did push her on the body, hold her by the body and crush crisps into her hair, push her against a wall and press his thumbs in to her eye, throw a bag of hot foot at her striking her on the body and covering her with hot liquid, repeatedly throw household objects at her and repeatedly strike her on the body causing her to back into a corner to her injury and grab her by the throat and push her against a wall to her injury.

Sheriff Macnair said: "I accept that you have stayed out of trouble but that is in the early days of your lengthy criminal history.

"The fact remains that you have not complied with an order of the Court.

"There are certain consequences if the order is breached. I am left with doing nothing or sending you back to prison.

"You were drunk when you were supposed to be at supervision, but I take into account that there has been a gap in your offending and there had been a long gap in bringing this to court."

When Ferns was sentenced to four months in prison, he replied: "How do you expect people to change if you just jail them?"