A BALLINGRY man who threatened to slit his partner's throat when she suggested she was going to a bar with friends found himself on a community payback order this week.

Stephen Smart, of Navitie Park, 32, had been out with his partner at a charity evening when she said she was going to continue the evening elsewhere.

He demanded she come home with him and said that someone would be "getting slit open tonight".

Appearing for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday, he had earlier admitted that on July 15 at a house in Garry Park, Glencraig, and elsewhere in Lochgelly, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm when he acted in a aggressive manner towards his partner, shouted, swore and uttered threats of violence towards her.

Depute Fiscal Azrah Yousaf said the couple had been in an on-off relationship for the past 11 years. After becoming concerned about the threats, the partner decided to go home with Smart.

When they got back to the house, he started packing his personal belongings and said he was going to leave her.

She became concerned at some of the comments he was making and contacted police. When officers arrived, they could hear the accused shouting.

Solicitor Ian Beatson said his client accepted responsibility for his actions which he "very much" regretted.

"He had been at the charity event to raise money for cerebral palsy as his child suffers from that condition," he said. "He says he is not really a drinker and, unfortunately on this occasion he consumed far too much alcohol and he had essentially had enough and wanted to go home.

"His partner decided she wanted to go elsewhere and he should have allowed her to do so and behaved in a manner which he very much regrets.

"He is going to refrain from alcohol as he doesn't want to get himself in that state of intoxication where he acts in a manner that he considers deplorable."

Sheriff Charles Macnair placed Smart on a community payback order with the requirement that he carries out 101 hours of unpaid work within six months.

"This is your second offence of domestic abuse caused solely, on this occasion, by you being drunk," he said. "That is not an excuse in any manner."