A CARDENDEN teenager who assaulted his partner and refused to let her leave their home was ordered to do unpaid work this week.

The seventeen year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

He had previously admitted that on September 18 at a house in McGinlay Terrace, Lochore, he assaulted the woman by repeatedly slapping her to the back of her head and pushing her.

The following day, he also behaved in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm when he repeatedly attempted to force open a bathroom door to gain access to his partner, carried her upstairs to prevent her from leaving and repeatedly move her shoes in an attempt to keep her in the property.

Depute fiscal, Jane Rennie, said the couple had been drinking with friends and, when they had left, the youth started to shout at his partner.

He slapped her on the back of her head and pushed her before they went to bed, saying they would talk about it in the morning.

The next day at around midday, the partner locked herself in the bathroom as she thought the accused was going to do something.

He made repeated attempts to force his way into the bathroom but his partner prevented him from doing so. She called her friend who made her way to the house.

"The accused became aware his partner's friend was approaching the locus and locked the front door," said Ms Rennie.

"His partner then went downstairs and attempted to leave the property but was stopped by the accused.

"The accused then picked her up and carried her back up the stairs. His partner then made repeated attempts to put on her shoes but the accused kept taking them off her feet."

Solicitor, Rosni Joshi, said her client appeared as a first offender.

"He is a very young, naive and immature man," she said.

"His efforts to resolve the situation give a clear sense of relationship immaturity, for example moving her shoes so she could not leave. That was in an effort to keep her there so they could talk about things."

Sheriff Charles Macnair described the youth's actions as "deplorable criminal behaviour."

"In the evening or early hours of Tuesday, you assaulted your partner and then, on the 19th, later on that day, you committed a further offence where she was clearly frightened of something and she went into the bathroom," he said.

"You tried to get her out of there and prevent her from leaving by not letting out of the door and then by moving her shoes. Having regard to your age and lack of record, I am prepared to deal with this by way of a non custodial sentence."

He placed the teenager on a community payback order with supervision for 18 months and a requirement to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work within six months.