A student who forced his way into his ex-girlfriend’s house and threatened to kill her was found by police dangling upside down from an upstairs window.
Shaun Connelly’s former partner thought she was dreaming when she heard a racket at her front door in the early hours of January 24 last year.
Then she heard “sniggering” from outside her bedroom.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard police were scrambled to the house following a call from a concerned passer by.
When arrested, Connelly told police he had stood outside the property in Laird Street, Dundee, “for a few hours” before deciding to go inside.
The 28-year-old pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by attending at his ex’s home uninvited, forcing his way inside, causing a disturbance, uttering threats to kill and attempting to jump out a window.
Laughter
Fiscal depute Gavin Letford told the court: “The accused and the complainer were in an on-off relationship for three years.
“It had ended around eight months before this incident.”
The prosecutor said: “At about 11.10pm, the complainer locked her front door and retired to bed.
“Some time later, at 3.15am, she was awoken by the noise of banging at her front door.
“She assumed she was dreaming.
“But then she heard sniggering and laughing, coming from the bottom of her stairs.”
The woman dashed out to check on children who were sleeping in another room and came face-to-face with Connelly on the landing.
He told her: “You should have got that door fixed by now.”
Mr Letford said: “A struggle ensued and Mr Connelly shouted at the complainer, saying he was going to kill her.”
When Connelly was told police were on their way, he tried to jump out of the children’s bedroom window.
“The complainer restrained the accused and while she was doing so, officers arrived at the property.”
Dangled
The fiscal depute said police had received an anonymous call about a disturbance at the semi-detached house.
The witness reported “shouting and banging” from inside.
“Several police units attended,” said Mr Letford.
“Officers noticed that the front door was open, the bottom rung was hanging off and the door around the lock was split.”
They heard the complainer shouting “get out, get out” from upstairs.
“Police officers saw the accused dangling from a first floor window,” the prosecutor said.
Officers grabbed his legs and managed to drag him back inside.
Mr Letford said the children at the house were “visibly upset, distressed and screaming.”
Connelly, of Finavaon Terrace, Dundee, later told police: “I was sitting outside the house for a few hours and yeah, I did force my way in.”
Banning order
Solicitor Jim Caird told the court: “He accepts he behaved extremely poorly.
”There was no real explanation for why he went into the property.”
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael deferred sentence for background reports, but ordered Connelly to stay away from his ex as part of a three year non-harassment order.
”If you breach this order that could be a criminal offence and you will end up back here,” the sheriff told him.
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