A serial domestic abuser has been placed on a year-long community order with a warning that another offence will land him in jail.
Brian Smith appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court where he was given the 12-month CPO with a condition requiring him to undertake the Fergus programme for domestic offenders having previously admitted offences including an assault on his partner in July 2015, and threatening to kill others and petrol bomb a house.
Smith, 42, of Glenmoy Place, Arbroath was said by solicitor Billy Rennie to be in an “on/off” relationship with the woman.
Sheriff Jack Brown said: “You have been subject to a high tariff deferred sentence for some time now and the (social work) report indicates things are going reasonably well.
“But you should understand beyond any doubt that your record of convictions involving domestic violence is such that I would be perfectly entitled to send you to custody.
“Your attitude demonstrated throughout these reports towards your relationships is not particularly good, but indicates you are getting better and I am prepared to let you demonstrate that.
“If the order is in any way breached there would have to be a reasonable expectation that custody is the next step as far as you are concerned,” said the sheriff.