Man threatened to kill his wife

A Fife man, who called the emergency services and said he was going to kill his wife has been sentenced.

Richard Ward, 38, of Priory Square, Kincardine, admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by throwing items around the house and making threats of violence towards his wife.

The offence happened at his home on April 21.

Depute fiscal Claire Bremner told Dunfermline Sheriff Court the couple were married last December.

On the day of the offence they began to argue and Ward threw a remote control across the room.

During the row his wife had gone to a bedroom and put a belt around her neck, looped it through a door handle and pulled it tight.

Ward went into the room, found her and removed the belt.

However, he then made a 999 call and told the operator he was going to kill his wife.

Defence solicitor Barbara Collie said: “He’d consumed a large amount of alcohol. He accepts he told the 999 operator he was going to kill his wife but it was a spur of the moment thing. He says he loves his wife and would never harm her.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair told Ward he had “an appalling record of violence” which made his threats more serious.

He imposed a community payback order with two years’ supervision and Ward will attend a domestic abuse groupwork programme.