Denny offender saw red when he thought ex was heading out on a date

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Kevin Birt, 32, had pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour – grabbing his former partner’s mobile phone from her – at an address in Braes View, Denny, on August 5 last year.

Procurator fiscal depute Bernadette Cuthbertson said: “The accused attended at the address and saw her vehicle parked near the entrance and he parked beside it. He and his former partner then both began talking.

"The accused was very irate and confrontational and he stated ‘are you going out on a date?’ and then said to her ‘let me see your phone’. There has then been a struggle as he tried to grab her phone.

"He took the phone from her and began scrolling through the details. She then left the area for fear of escalation and contacted police.”

Martin Morrow, defence solicitor, said there had been a break down in the relationship between Birt and his former partner, who he said had supposedly been in a relationship with one of Birt’s relations “behind his back”.

He said all parties had “moved on” since the incident.

Sheriff John MacRitchie heard Birt, 100 Braes View, Denny, had been of good behaviour in the months following the offence and he simply admonished him. He also found there was no need to impose a non-harassment order in this case.