A MAN who threatened to kill and rape an Inverkeithing woman and her children has avoided a jail sentence.

Liam Cochrane, 31, of Grandtuilly Drive, Glasgow, who made the vile threats, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on a number of occasions between June 1, 2020 and July 28, 2022 at Inverkeithing and elsewhere, he engaged in an abusive course of conduct towards his then partner.

He shouted, swore, made threats of violence towards her, her family and children, repeatedly contacted her by phone and social media, threatening to kill her, to rape her and her family, set fire to her home and contacted her relatives threatening them with violence.

Depute fiscal Lauren Pennycook said the couple had met online and Cochrane moved into the woman’s home in Inverkeithing shortly afterwards. He was living there with the woman and her two children.

After they split up, Cochrane sent threatening messages to the woman and also to her friends and family.

He repeatedly made threats to the woman that he would kill her and burn her house down. He also made threats to rape her and her children “going into graphic details” added the depute.

He bragged, “The police won’t catch me” and threatened, “I’m coming for you. I’ll kill you.”

Then after more calls, the police attended and could hear Cochrane making more threats as they listened to her phone on speaker.

He said: “I’m coming for you. I’m at the bottom of the street.”

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He also said he paid £5,000 for a “hit” on her.

After hearing Cochrane was not keen on being put on a ‘tag’, Sheriff Allan Findlay said: “It’s a ROLO (restriction of liberty order) or jail. That’s his choice.”

Not surprisingly, Cochrane said he would comply with a ‘tag’.

He was put on the order for nine months and also a three-year non-harassment order.

“You breach it, you go to jail. This is serious stuff,” said the sheriff.

Cochrane had just been sentenced for another domestic abuse crime at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

That was towards a different victim and resulted in a four-year non-harassment order and an instruction to attend the Caledonian Men’s programme for domestic offenders.