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An offender was supposedly trying to remove a nuisance from a block of flats and when neighbours tried to intervene he turned on them – grabbing one woman by the neck.

The evening attack was preceded by noise and disturbance at the block which led to neighbours asking upstairs tenant Martin Thomson, 40, to keep the noise down because they had children downstairs.

Appearing at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday, Thomson had pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman – seizing her by the neck to her injury – and threatening behaviour at an address in Overton Crescent, Denny on April 27.

Bernadette Cuthbertson, procurator fiscale depute, said: “The accused has moved into the address and is known to others in the block of flats. He did not have any trouble with anyone when he moved in.

Thomson appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court
(Picture: Michael Gillen, National World) — Thomson appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court (Picture: Michael Gillen, National World)

"It was 9.30pm on the date in question when the witness heard shouting and swearing. She went outside into the garden. She couldn’t see anything but heard the voice of the accused.

"She said ‘could you stop this, we have kids downstairs’. It then fell silent and she returned back to her flat. At 9.50pm the accused again could be heard shouting and there was then an argument between witnesses and the accused.

"They went up to his address, climbing two sets of stairs and attempted to separate the accused from another woman by grabbing his arm. The accused then lunged towards the witness and grabbed her by the neck, which caused her a slight injury.

"She was left with slight redness to her neck but did not need medical attention. Police were then contacted.”

The court heard Thomson’s friend had been “causing a disturbance” within the close in the block of flats and he was trying to remove his friend from the premises.

It was stated Thomson had since moved away from the block of flats and reportedly had no issues with neighbours where he was now staying.

Sheriff Simon Collins placed Thomson, 34 Bulloch Crescent, Denny, on a supervised community payback order for six months with the condition he complete 70 hours of unpaid work within 12 months and pay £150 compensation to the woman he attacked within two months.

Bad blood in the block: Denny offender grabs downstairs neighbour by the throat during disturbance