A chuckling ex with blood on his hands turned himself into police after drunkenly harassing his former girlfriend.
Michael Burnage ripped the wing mirrors from a van belonging to the woman’s new partner during the incident on Sunday January 21.
Burnage approached police, who were called out to the scene on Ballantrae Terrace in Dundee, with fresh wounds and said: “Are you looking for me?”
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how Burnage could be heard making threats on a landing outside the woman’s home before hiding in a storage cupboard, while laughing.
Spotted tormentor through peephole
The court heard the woman and Burnage, 45, had been in a relationship for six years prior to separating.
Her new partner had been staying over for the weekend and became suspicious of a noise at around 7pm.
Prosecutor Carrie-Anne Mackenzie said the couple heard rattling at the letterbox but believed it was “small children messing around”.
Ten minutes later, however, the woman checked the door’s peephole and saw Burnage on the landing.
Ms Mackenzie said: “She immediately locked the front door and a few minutes later, she heard the accused laughing within a storage cupboard on the landing.
“The accused shouted that her partner’s van was going to get smashed.
“Police were contacted at 7.10pm and the accused had left.
“Banging was heard coming from where the vehicle was parked.
“Officers arrived and noticed both wing mirrors of the van were missing.”
The officers were approached by Burnage who had fresh, bleeding cuts on his left hand.
Alcohol at root of offending
Burnage, of Balunie Avenue, pled guilty from custody to attending his ex-partner’s flat, shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and making threats, before pulling the wing mirrors from the vehicle.
According to defence solicitor Billy Watt, Burnage’s behaviour was triggered by a relapse into alcohol misuse.
Sheriff Eric Brown released Burnage on bail after deferring sentence until next month for a criminal justice social work report to be prepared.
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