Camelon offender battered his brother bloody with metal object during heated argument

Ian Crawford, 34, was said to be unable to accept his former partner had moved on with her life.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Ian Crawford, 34, had pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour towards his former partner in Watling Gardens, Camelon on September 28 last year and assaulting his brother – striking him on the head with an unknown object to his injury – in Watling Gardens, Camelon on November 11, 2023.

Rachel Hill, procurator fiscal depute, said: “It was 8pm and the complainer contacted the accused as their son had become agitated and upset. She phoned the accused and he stated he was going to murder the complainer’s friend.

"There had been issues between the accused and this male. The accused began to call the complainer repeatedly leaving messages saying ‘his murder is going to be in your thoughts for the rest of your life if you don’t answer – I’m ready to call the boys in this time because I know his address’.”

On another occasion, Crawford’s threatening behaviour became physical when he turned on his own brother.

"It was 5am and there was an argument between the accused and his brother,” said the procurator fiscal depute. “The accused lifted a metal object and struck his brother to the head, causing it to bleed.

"The accused was then removed from the address by other parties and police were contacted. His brother had a laceration to the left side of his head which was bleeding.”

The court heard the relationship had ended between Crawford and his former partner, who had now moved on with her life, starting a new relationship – a situation he found difficult to accept.

He was said to regret what he said and the messages he left her.

Sheriff Christopher Shead placed Crawford, 45 Fleming Gardens, Camelon, on a supervised community payback order for 18 months with the condition he complete 290 hours of unpaid work within 12 months.