A vengeful husband torched a BMW on a Fife street after learning another man was having an affair with his wife.
Darren Reape, 32, bought petrol at a filling station in Cowdenbeath, before setting the car alight in St Ronans Gardens, Crosshill, on June 1 last year.
He appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to plead guilty to wilfully setting fire to the vehicle and sending a message threatening violence to his rival a few weeks before.
Torched BMW
Prosecutor Douglas Thomson told the court that shortly before April 15 2022 Reape had learned of the affair.
The court heard both men had known each other for over a year and were on friendly terms and there had been difficulties in both of their marriages.
Details of a message or messages sent by Reape on April 15 were read out in court.
They included “I am not stopping until I see you,” “you cannot hide in a hotel the rest of your life, face the music,” and “you have made the biggest mistake of your life you dirty, dirty ba***rd”.
Mr Thomson said on May 29 or 30 the victim’s partner parked and locked the BMW outside an address in St Ronans Gardens.
On June 1, after 10pm, Reape obtained a can of petrol from a filling station in Cowdenbeath.
The court heard he then told someone who was driving him he was using the fuel for a motorbike.
The fiscal depute continued: “He (Reape) exited the vehicle and walked to St Monans Gardens and used the petrol to set fire to the BMW, returned to the car and told the driver to drive off.”
Mr Thomson said the BMW became engulfed with flames and firefighters arrived a short time later to extinguish the fire.
Windows and doors of a nearby property were also damaged, as was a works van in the street.
Police confession
The fiscal depute said on July 29 last year police had reason to speak to Reape about an unconnected matter and officers were aware he was a suspect for wilful fireraising.
After being charged, Reape began asking officers about the other man, saying he was “going to find” the complainer and that “this is why he put on a balaclava and burned his car”.
Reape, of Drumshoreland Road, Pumpherston, pled guilty to wilfully setting fire to the car in Crosshill.
On April 15 2022 he also behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by sending a text message in which he threatened him with violence.
Sheriff Charles Lugton adjourned sentencing until November 23 to obtain background reports and his bail was continued.
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