A COWDENBEATH man who sent threatening messages just days after being released from prison has escaped another spell in custody.

Richard Drummond, 50, was told he would be given "one chance" after his latest offence in which he sent text messages to his grown up nieces calling them a "Catholic sl*t" and a "grassing whore" as well as threatening to kill them.

Appearing for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Drummond, of Rowan Terrace, had previously admitted that on April 25 last year, at a property in Navitie Park, Ballingry, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner when he repeatedly send text messages to his niece which were of a threatening and offensive nature and placed her in a state of fear and alarm.

On April 27, at Navitie Park and Craigiemalcolm Path, both Ballingry, and elsewhere, he also behaved in a threatening or abusive manner when he repeatedly telephoned and send text messages to another niece which were of a threatening and offensive nature.

Depute Fiscal Alastair McDermott told the Court that Drummond was released from prison on April 24 and went to live with his mother who lent him her mobile phone.

The following day, there was a fall out and he was required to seek alternative accommodation and he blamed his two grown up nieces for him having to seek new accommodation.

On April 25, one niece received a text from her grandmother's phone which Drummond had been using.

It read: "F*** off you grass, you wee Catholic sl*t." Other messages stated: "My mum is not scared of me. You should be you piece of sh*t."

The other niece also received messages including: "I will kill you as well. If you think for one second I wont strangle you, think again. Catholic grassing ar******s. I am warning you, f*** off out of my life."

Further message threatening to kill his mother and calling her a"grassing whore" were also sent.

Solicitor Peter Robertson said his client was remorseful for his actions.

"When he got out of prison, a number of items had been removed from a room he had at his mother's house and there were also items that had been disposed of, in particular pictures, and that had inflamed him.

"He feels terrible and describes his nieces in good terms. Since then there has been a lot of water under the bridge between him and his family. He gets on with his nieces and it would not appear this is an ongoing issue."

Sheriff Charles Macnair placed Drummond on a community payback order requiring him to do 160 hours of unpaid work within six months.

"These were very serious issues in that they involved threats to kill your nieces and, of course, they were aggravated by religious prejudice," he said. "That sort of threat will not be tolerated.

"It is a case where my immediate reaction was you would be returned to prison and serve a further sentence but I am only just persuaded that you should be given the opportunity of a community payback order but certainly, as far as I am concerned, you will get one chance and one chance only. If you don't engage, you will go to prison."