A 36-YEAR-OLD man caused a noisy disturbance outside the home of his former partner in Lochgelly and threatened to burn a house down.

Douglas Imrie, of Backmarch Crescent, Rosyth, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on June 18, at Sunnyside Place, Lochgelly, he banged on a door, smashed up and damaged a bin and garden furniture.

He also sent a message to his ex-partner, making abusive remarks, threatened to burn down a property and made other threats of violence.

The court was told the couple had been in a long-term relationship which ended this year.

Imrie started sending the woman messages about her new partner, including: “Tell him I’ll be seeing him soon.”

Imrie then turned up outside the woman’s house after sending a message: “See you in five.”

He was banging on the door before throwing a bin about.

Other messages sent included a threat to cut someone up and set someone’s house on fire.

He later told the police: “I lost my temper. I was hot-headed.”

Defence solicitor Calum Harris said: “They had been in a long-term relationship, approximately 19 years.

“He had moved out and there was something of a stand-off. He was refusing to pay a utility bill and she had withdrawn his contact with the children.”

Sheriff Susan Duff imposed a community payback order with 12 months of supervision with a focus on domestic offending. She also imposed a non-harassment order lasting a year.