Stenhousemuir offender made threats online to slit a woman's throat and burn her body

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Thursday, Derek Main, 35, had pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour – sending offensive comments via social media and text messages to his former partner and her new partner – between May 14 and May 16.

Procurator fiscal depute Amy Sneddon said: “The accused had been sending messages to the complainer, who chose to block his number. The following day she unblocked the accused’s mobile number because she wanted to speak with him.

"At 2.15pm he began to message her on Facebook and the messages continued until the early hours of the next day. He also left voicemails of him shouting. He said he would slit her throat and burn her body so no one would find her.

"He continued sending her a number of messages that were abusive, calling her a ‘dyke’ and a ‘fat slag’. He then made a threat to take her children away from her and remove the tracking on their mobile phones to ensure she would never see them again.”

Police were then contacted and Main told them the messages were sent “in the heat of the moment”.

Sheriff Maryam Labaki placed Main, 26 Arthur’s Drive, Stenhousemuir, on a supervised community payback order for two years with the condition he take part in the Caledonian domestic abuse programme.

He was also made subject to a non-harassment order not to have any contact with his former partner and her new partner for two years.