A Dunfermline man began stalking his former partner after their relationship ended.

The culprit was 38-year-old Graham Ross, of Henryson Road, who appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing.

He admitted that between June 1 and 30 last year at an address in Rosyth and elsewhere, he engaged in stalking behaviour towards his ex-partner.

He repeatedly contacted her by email and text messages, appeared outside her house and repeatedly walked past her house.

He sent her social media messages detailing her social activities so that she knew she was being monitored by him.

He waited outside a pool hall she was socialising at, attended at her home and stood there staring at her house.

The court was told that the couple had been in a relationship for two years having met online.

When they split up Ross, it appears, did not take it well and on June 1, the woman received an email from Ross containing threats. She then saw him sitting on a grit-bin across the road from her home before walking repeatedly around her home.

He sent an email saying he hoped she had enjoyed her night in the pub the day before. Then she was having a night out in a Rosyth bar when she received another email from him saying: “Two nights in a row.”

She was alarmed and asked a friend for a lift home. When people approached Ross outside the pool hall and asked what he was doing, he ran off.

In another incident she saw him standing around the back of her home.

Defence solicitor Alan Davie said: “When they spilt, he handled the break-up very badly. It’s clearly alarming behaviour. He’s ashamed of it. It was his first offence.”

Sheriff Krista Johnston told Ross: “You should know better than to behave in this ridiculous way. It must have caused considerable upset and alarm to this lady.”

She imposed a community payback order with 100 hours of unpaid work and a two-year non-harassment order.