AN INVERKEITHING man has admitted stalking offences against his former partner which carried on for more than a year.

William Smith would hang about the woman’s house, turn up uninvited and stare into her home.

Smith, 46, of Clark Road, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that between October 26, 2015, and March 10 this year at an address in Inverkeithing, he engaged in a course of conduct which caused his former partner and a child fear or alarm by repeatedly loitering outside their home, repeatedly attending at their home uninvited and staring into their home.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf told the court that on one occasion, a neighbour of the woman saw Smith loitering in a close behind her home at around 8.15 one morning.

“He appeared to be peering at the home of his former partner. He was in an alleyway for an hour acting in a shifty manner.

“He peered over the fence for a few seconds then would move back and then would do it again.”

The neighbour, who knew about the problems the ex-partner was having with Smith, took a photograph of him.

Police were contacted and the woman was “visibly upset” when officers spoke to her. “She said she felt intimidated, was scared to leave her house as she didn’t know if he would be there,” added the depute.

When questioned by police, Smith initially denied stalking saying: “She is lying through her teeth.”

Sheriff Craig McSherry placed Smith on a nine-month restriction of liberty order and a two-year non-harassment order.

The court heard Smith was already on a non-harassment order for a previous offence.