A Fife-based soldier told his ex-wife he would kill any man she started a relationship with, during a chilling rant social media rant.
Kieran Crawford, 29, who is based at Leuchars Station, then bombarded the woman with Facebook messages and calls until she was forced to block him.
Fiscal depute Larissa Milligan told Dunfermline Sheriff Court: “He messaged the complainer via Facebook messenger.
“At about 12.20am on July 4 the accused sent a message which stated ‘you don’t care. just to give you the heads up – whoever you get with, I’ll kill them’.
“Following that message being sent the accused became fixated on the idea she was seeing someone and sent 22 messages and attempted to call her via Facebook Messenger.”
She said the woman blocked Crawford and contacted the police.
Alcohol problems
Ms Milligan said an earlier incident had seen Crawford throw a 10kg weight plate during an argument with his ex-wife.
She had come home at 1am to find Crawford drunk and asked him to leave.
“The accused became abusive, telling her he hated her and she had ruined his life,” Ms Milligan said.
The court heard how Crawford had undergone treatment for alcohol problems at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow at around the time the couple split up.
Solicitor Zander Flett, defending, said his client had “significant problems with alcohol”, although the British Army had been supportive during these struggles.
“The breakdown of his marriage is clearly something he is struggling to deal with,” he added.
Crawford, of Nichols Avenue, Leuchars, admitted acting in a threatening and abusive manner at an address in Dunfermline by making abusive comments over Facebook messenger between July 3 and 4 this year.
He further admitted acting in a threatening and abusive manner on May 30 by shouting and swearing at the woman and refusing to leave the address.
He also pled guilty to two counts of breaching bail.
Career risk
Sheriff Wyllie Robertson warned Crawford if he continued on his current path he was risking his career.
He said: “You have significant problems with alcohol and unless you deal with that your life is going to become even more chaotic than it already is.
“You’ll be turfed out of the military, no doubt, and end up in custody.”
He placed Crawford on a 12-month supervision order as an alternative to custody.
Crawford was also banned from contacting his ex-wife for two years.
