Man said he would kill neighbours

A 61-year-old Lochgelly man told police he was going to murder his neighbours when a long-running dispute flared up.

As a result of the threats, Alexander Duff, of Sharp Grove, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on November 19 at his home he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly making threats of violence.

Depute fiscal Rebecca Clark said: “There is an ongoing dispute between the accused and certain neighbours.”

Police had been contacted following reports of an incident and Duff had been apprehended at 11.50pm.

Duff told police: “I’m going to murder them. They’re getting murdered.”

He also commented about a neighbour: “That is the last thing he will do.”

Defence solicitor Gordon Martin said his client had been in court in May following a previous incident involving his neighbours and his sentence had been deferred for him to be of good behaviour.

He added: “What happened here was that there was no earlier incident that day.

“That allegation was made up. He was concerned that as a result of this false allegation he would held in custody and allowed his mouth to run a little.”

He said his client, who is on benefits, had lived at this current address for three years.

Sheriff James MacDonald fined Duff £175.