A lager-fuelled yob sent a series of chilling texts and voicemails to his ex-girlfriend and threatened to chop off her head if she called police.
Jealous Kevin Watt bombarded his partner with unwanted calls and went into a rage when she went out with friends.
He called her “the biggest tart in Perth” and threated to go to her home and murder her and whoever she was with.
Perth Sheriff Court heard his girlfriend initially thought he was joking.
Watt, who says he downs 12 cans of lager a day, appeared in the dock and admitted engaging in a course of abusive behaviour between February 1 and May 23 this year.
The 37-year-old construction worker also admitted a separate incident when he threatened colleagues with a hammer at a building site in Dundee.
Admitted he was jealous
Watt was charged under the Scottish Government’s 2018 domestic abuse laws that classified for the first time a wide range of relationship “psychological harms” as criminal offences.
Fiscal depute Stuart Hamilton said Watt met his girlfriend during a party at his flat in Victoria Street, Perth.
The pair got on well at first but red flags appeared as the relationship continued.
“The complainer was invited for a night out in Perth and she got changed at the accused’s flat,” said Mr Hamilton.
Watt told her: “There’s no way your going out like that. You look like a fat tart.”
The fiscal depute told the court: “Annoyed and upset, the complainer said she would not stay at the accused’s that night.
“She went out with her friends but the accused repeatedly phoned her and told her to Facetime him.
“She refused to comply, but eventually answered his call.”
Mr Hamilton said: “He told her he was on his way to her house and he was going to kill whoever was there with her.
“She thought it was a joke because she had never heard him speak like that before.”
The next day, Watt admitted that he was jealous that she was not with him.
She blocked his number.
Threat to ‘smash her about the house’
In March this year, the woman answered a withheld number call from Watt.
He asked if they could continue to see each other and the relationship resumed, Mr Hamilton said.
“The accused came to the complainer’s home for food and drink,” said the prosecutor.
“There was an argument when the accused refused to leave.
“She threw his shoes and jeans out of the front door.
“The accused told her he would ‘smash her all about the house’ if she didn’t get his clothes back.”
The woman handed him his clothes and he left.
Burn house down
Mr Hamilton said, a few weeks later, the woman tried to end the relationship.
“She did not like the way the accused was treating her,” he said.
Watt responded: “You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to come through and slit your throat and burn the house down.”
He later phoned her and said he would “smash her with a hammer and smash her skull.”
Watt turned up at her house, drunk and told her he was going to hang himself.
The court heard he then bombarded his ex with text messages.
“You are a million percent poison,” he told her.
In another text, he threatened to cut her head off if she went to the police.
When Watt was arrested, he was carrying a pipe wrench.
Construction site threats
The court heard of a separate incident at a building site in Dundee’s Luna Place on November 5 last year.
Mr Hamilton said Watt got into an argument with colleague Michael Pitrie about a drill.
“The accused became aggressive and said ‘you f***ing come here’ before advancing at Mr Pitrie.
“Mr Ptirie and other staff ran towards the front of the building.
“The accused gave chase and told them: ‘I’ll take all three of you on. I’m taking that f***ing drill. Let’s go then.'”
Watt made threats to stab Mr Pitrie.
He then produced a black handled hammer and brandished it.
Alcohol issues
Solicitor David Holmes, defending, said: “These offences relate to an addiction to alcohol.
“He has been a heavy drinker since he was a teenager.
“He tells me he would drink 12 cans of lager a day and that has clearly impacted the way he behaved.”
Sheriff Gillian Wade told Watt: “These are violent and persistent threats over a significant period of time.”
She deferred sentence on the domestic abuse matter until October 19.
For the incident at the building site, he was placed on supervision for 18 months and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.
