by Craig Borland

A FAIFLEY man who burst into his former partner’s home demanding to talk about their relationship while she was getting her children ready to go to nursery has been ordered to stay away from her for the next two years.

Martin McAnemy shouted and swore within the Orbiston Drive house on the morning of January 18, leaving his ex’s children “very upset” and his former partner “hysterical”.

McAnemy, now of Watchmeal Crescent, appeared in court for sentencing on Thursday after pleading guilty at a previous hearing to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by attending at the property uninvited, pushing past his ex, shouting and swearing, all in the presence of children.

Fiscal depute David McDonald told Dumbarton Sheriff Court that McAnemy and his former partner were living separately at the time of the incident and had had a nine-month relationship.

He said: “At about 8am the accused attended at the locus, wanting to discuss his relationship with her and whether they were going to get back together.

“She told him she was busy getting her children ready for nursery and did not want to discuss things with him at this time.

“The accused left and returned at about 8.30am. He gained entry to the common close by using the service button, made his way to the door of her flat and knocked.

“She, in her haste, did not look or ask who was at the door, and simply opened the door.

“The accused pushed his way into the flat, causing her to step back into the hallway. [She] states the accused began shouting he wanted his television, stated he loved her and wanted to get her back. She asked the accused to leave at which he began shouting, which resulted in the children becoming very upset and running into the living room.

“She asked the accused to leave at which point he continued shouting and swearing before storming out of the flat, shouting and swearing as he went down the stairs and out of the common close.”

Mr McDonald said McAnemy’s ex had gone to the home of a neighbour nearby – who had heard the shouting and swearing and had seen McAnemy leaving the close – and was “extremely upset and hysterical”.

McAnemy was traced by police and interviewed at Clydebank Police Office, where he admitted there had been raised voices.

But Mr McDonald said: “He completely denied any forced entry to the flat. He was cautioned and charged and said ‘I didn’t force my way into the property’.”

Gail Campbell, defending, said McAnemy – who spent time on remand for the offence – “accepted full responsibility” for the incident.

Referring to a social work report on her client prepared after his guilty plea, Ms Campbell said McAnemy’s alcohol problems were “difficult, troubling and challenging”.

She said: “They were his problems, not the complainer’s problems.

“It seems the sobering up period whilst he was remanded addressed how problematic his alcohol consumption has been.

“The relationship is at an end. He’s aware enough of his own issues to state that he doesn’t intend to be in a relationship until he has tackled the problem. “Until this incident the separation had been relatively amicable.“He has had a period on remand and he doesn’t wish to return to that.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry placed McAnemy under social work supervision until September 2018 and told him to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work in the community within six months.

He also granted a request from the Crown for a two-year non-harassment order preventing McAnemy from contacting or attempting to contact the woman.

The sheriff said: “Things are likely to go one of two ways. They could go better, but the potential is there for them to get worse as well. The central issue in your life is whether you can deal with the problems alsochol abuse is causing you.

If there’s any further offending of this sort, and particularly if it has a domestic element to it, there is bound to be an inevitability that a custodial sentence will follow.”

On the non-harassment order, the sheriff added: “Every conceivable method of communication is prohibited. If you don’t comply, that is a criminal offence, and that again would be likely to trigger custody.”