Inverness man jailed after threatening to ‘beat’ former lover

An Inverness man who threatened to “beat” his former lover and “cut up” her relatives after the couple had separated was jailed for 15 months.

Craig MacLeod, of the city’s Thornbush Road, was also banned from approaching or contacting his ex-partner after he previously admitted behaving in a threatening manner on two occasions in June 2022 and January 2023.

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Inverness Sheriff Court heard that, on the first occasion, the 34-year-old turned up drunk at his ex-partner’s home in Inverness then shouted and swore outside.

He left then returned half-an-hour later and pushed his way in and threatened his ex’s new partner.

The court heard MacLeod told his ex: “I could easily beat you up now since we are not together.

“I could easily finish you off.”

But eventually he left after a neighbour intervened.

On January 14 last year, on Mackenzie Street in Stornoway, MacLeod damaged two cars with a knife then threatened their owners when challenged.

The court heard he then went to another street where members of his ex-partner’s family lived and, after shouting and swearing, took out a knife and waved it “in their general direction”.

MacLeod pled guilty to two charges of threatening behaviour, vandalism, possession of knives and failing to appear for a court hearing in the Western Isles court.

But MacLeod's crime spree didn't end when he returned to Inverness, Sheriff Gary Aitken learned.

At about 8.20pm on July 28, last year police were called to a grassy area outside the Waterfront bar in Huntly Street where MacLeod was seen to have a knife.

The court was told that on seeing the officers, he leapt over a railing and escaped. MacLeod was later tracked down nearby and produced the knife, held it above his head and pointed it in the direction of the police who had to use PAVA spray to disarm and arrest him.

Fiscal depute Sophie Marshall said that while being restrained, he shouted abuse at the officers. MacLeod admitted two further charges of threatening behaviour and possessing a knife.

The final charges MacLeod pleaded guilty to involved an incident outside his home where he was initially standing on the road shouting and swearing and smashing windows.

Ms Marshall said: "As he was being taken to the police van, a delivery driver walked past and he shouted a racist remark at him due to his ethnicity."

His solicitor advocate Clare Russell told the sheriff: "He has underlying substance misuse difficulties and his rate of offending has increased since he suffered a traumatic brain injury a few years ago."

Sheriff Aitken noted that MacLeod had failed to co-operate in a drug treatment and testing order and a community payback order, both imposed as an alternative to jail.

"You have repeatedly demonstrated a lack of concern for other members of society with the repeated use of knives,” he said. “It is time you were removed from society."

The prison sentence was backdated to March 17 when MacLeod was remanded in custody.