A man who texted his ex-partner threatening to break her leg - and saying her former boyfriend was "dead meat" - dodged a jail sentence.
Michael Paris, 46, messaged Linda White raging that he'd have her ex-partner - the father of her children - "done in".
Prosecutor Amy Sneddon said Paris began messaging Ms White at 6.00 am on February 20th (2021), and messaging continued between the pair for hours until about 7.30 pm when Paris began to make threats.
Miss Sneddon said: "He said his pal 'John' was going to do her ex in.
"He said that her ex was 'dead meat' and she should say bye to him. He told her he'd be dragging him to the ground and he'd be 'getting a proper kicking - maybe dead'."
Paris added: "I'm not giving a f***."
At 8.50 pm he sent another message saying he was going to break Ms White's leg, before adding, at 10.30 pm, "I'm out of my face. I want to murder your ex b******, because he's a coward".
Ms White contacted the police and provided screenshots, and Paris was arrested, cautioned and charged.
Paris, of Gairloch Street, Redding, Falkirk, appeared for sentence at Falkirk Sheriff Court having pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to domestically-aggravated threatening behaviour.
Solicitor Simon Hutchison, defending, said Paris's behaviour "was the result of excess alcohol".
He said: "Before this there had been dozens and dozens and dozens of messages, to and fro all day between them, without any problems.
"Despite these abusive messages her position still seems to be that she is very concerned about Mr Paris and wants to support him."
Sheriff Derek Livingston told Paris, whom he described as having a history of domestic offending, that he would give him "one final chance" before imposing a custodial sentence.
He fined him £210 and placed him under social work supervision for three years, with conditions that he attend alcohol counselling and the Scottish Government's domestic harm reduction programme, known as the Caledonian Project.
He also made an order preventing Paris from entering the street in Grangemouth where Ms White lives for two years, and told him that if he wanted to meet her, it must be elsewhere.
