A man vandalised vehicles outside his love rival’s home before heading to his ex’s house and threatening to kill her.
Patrick Stewart told the woman that she would “never be with” the other man because “I will murder you”.
He then called 999 to goad police and made a vile threat to an officer who turned up to arrest him.
Stewart, 25, appeared at Tain Sheriff Court to admit two charges of threatening or abusive behaviour, one of destroying or damaging property and one of resisting, obstructing or hindering police officers.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy Welsh told the court that Stewart and the woman had “briefly” been involved in a relationship.
But in the early hours of June 20 the woman received a Snapchat message from Stewart followed by a phone call.
“During the course of a call she mentioned her ex-partner,” Ms Duffy-Welsh said.
Man vandalised love rival’s car
At 8.10am the same day, the man she had been referring to was at home when he heard “a loud smashing” and looked out to see Stewart dressed in black clothes with a white cloth on his head.
CCTV of the incident showed Stewart repeatedly jumping on and repeatedly striking one vehicle before pulling off the wing mirror.
He also repeatedly struck the wing mirror and window of a second car. With both cars damaged Stewart walked off.
A short time later he entered the home of his ex-partner uninvited.
Ms Duffy Welsh said that he was carrying a Buckfast bottle and was clearly intoxicated and angry.
The woman repeatedly asked him to leave but Stewart just shouted at her calling her a “f***ing s***” and a prostitute.
He then told her she would “never be with” the other man “because I will murder you”.
Upset and alarmed, the woman called 999.
In the background of the call the emergency operator could hear him saying “Aye, it’s Patrick Stewart.”
The woman eventually managed to manoeuvre Stewart out of her home.
Man who threatened ex goaded police
Ms Duffy-Welsh said Stewart later called 999 himself and was heard “laughing and goading the police and asking how many calls they had received about him”.
Officers traced Stewart to an address in Invergordon but when they approached him he became “aggressive and abusive” telling one officer he would “stick the head on you” and calling him “monkey boy” and “rape victim”.
He was put in a police van where he continued to shout and swear before finally falling asleep before reaching Burnett Road Police Station.
Defence solicitor Rory Gowans said his client wished to convey his “unreserved apologies” for his behaviour, adding that Stewart had been “in a dark place” at the time of the incident.
Mr Gowans said: “A custodial sentence is something he believes he deserves but is also something he believes he will benefit from.”
Handing down a 10-month jail sentence Sheriff Gary Aitken told Stewart, of Ord Road, Marybank, that his actions were “completely inappropriate and an overreaction”.
