Threat to set worker on fire

A Dunfermline man threatened to pour petrol over his mental health officer and set fire to her.

Heroin addict Lee Sutherland, 25, of Broomhead Drive, was in a dispute about a personal issue and blamed the woman for his problems.

Sutherland was jailed for 12 months after admitting at Dunfermline Sheriff Court he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner on June 10.

The court heard there was social work involvement with the family and Sutherland had become particularly upset after a phone call from his former partner.

Blaming his mental health officer, he said: “I’m going to set her on fire.”

He repeated the threat to others, including another mental health officer and a neighbour.

Sutherland went into precise detail about his plan to store petrol in his flat, get the worker on her own, douse her with petrol and set fire to her.

He said if she wanted to escape she would have to jump from the balcony of his ninth floor flat.

Defence solicitor Lynsay Magro said: “He accepts that these were threats that would have been extremely distressing to the worker but he had no intention to carry out the threats he made.”

At the time of the offence, neighbours had also complained about Sutherland’s anti-social behaviour.

Sutherland admitted stealing alcohol from the Co-op in Shamrock Street on June 16.