A STREET fight between feuding double-glazing salesmen led one of them to make false allegations against a rival.

Darren Reape had to be taken to hospital with an injured eye after a previous punch-up with former colleagues as they canvassed for business.

He then decided to take revenge by making false claims that one of those involved in the fight had breached his bail conditions by phoning him with threats.

Now Reape is the one facing jail after admitting his offence at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Reape, 27, of High Street, Cowdenbeath, admitted that on July 28, 2017, he made false representations to police claiming that he had been contacted and threatened by Darren Cross.

The court heard Reape had formerly worked for SRJ Windows before joining another West Fife firm, CR Smith.

During his previous employment, he worked beside Cross and another man who was involved in the street altercation in Dunblane.

This had occurred on July 21, a week before the bogus claim by Reape.

Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said Reape had been assaulted in Dunblane and Mr Cross had been arrested in connection with this, having bail conditions imposed.

On July 28, police attended at Reape’s home where he made allegations that Mr Cross had breached his bail conditions.

He said he had received a phone call from Mr Cross as he travelled back from Aberdeen.

Mr Kapadia told the court: “He said he put this call on speaker so that others in his car could hear it. He claimed he had been threatened by Mr Cross who said, ‘I’m going to stab f*** out of you. You better change your story when you go to court’.”

However, when officers later spoke to the two people in the car with Reape when the alleged call was made, they told a different story.

“They said this was completely fictional and that the accused was trying to get Mr Cross into further trouble,” said the depute.

“They said he came up with the idea when travelling back from Aberdeen. He said he would give them money as a ‘thank you’ if they went along with the story.”

Sheriff James MacDonald told Reape, who was representing himself in court, “You have a significant schedule of previous offending.”

He called for reports and advised Reape to consider having legal representation at the sentencing on March 20.

The sheriff added: “You stand a very high chance of receiving a prison sentence for this matter.”