Dad lost the plot at ex’s home after row over child support
A raging dad who failed to keep up with his child support payments flipped out when his ex- partner suddenly cut off his contact.
Darren Hamilton, 31, lost the plot at Nicola Clyde when she told him he wasn’t welcome to come over and collect their child.
Hamilton went round to her house in Neilston and began shouting abuse and banging her door on May 22.
At Paisley Sheriff Court, procurator fiscal depute Flora Napier said Hamilton and Ms Clyde had been in a relationship – which ended more than 12 month ago – for several years, and they have a young child.
She said: “The witness contacted the accused in relation to money they agreed to be paid, which had not been paid.
“The accused said he was transferring funds.
“The witness said if he did not transfer funds he would not be permitted to pick up their child.
“At around 10.30pm, Ms Clyde and her friend were in the living room sitting down for a takeaway when the accused turned up at her home.
“He came to the front door where he began banging the door and shouting at her to continue to allow him to collect their child.
“He was telling her she was not getting any more money.
“He called her a ‘c**’ and was pacing up and down in front of the living room window.”
Ms Clyde warned him she was calling the cops and he left, but he was soon arrested.
He appeared before Sheriff Brian Mohan this week and pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner, where he shouted, swore, acted aggressively, banged a door, made offensive remarks and refused to leave when asked to do so.
Defence agent Terry Gallanagh said his client is a hard-working man, employed as a bricklayer, and he hadn’t missed a child payment before.
He said: “He had a difficulty with funds, but the response from his former partner was the loss of contact with the child.
“This caused him ire.
“He was upset at being deprived of the opportunity of contact and has engaged in behaviour which was inappropriate.”
He a d d e d Ha m i l t o n was “ashamed” at what he did and he accepted responsibility for causing the disturbance.
Sheriff Mohan told Hamilton, of Neilston, he was deferring sentence for six months and ordered him to be of good behaviour.
He will appear at court on December 7 for a review of his conduct.