A MAN who subjected a woman to abuse about her disability in Dunfermline town centre has been told his "despicable behaviour" had brought him "very, very close" to a custodial sentence.

Andrew Doig, 26, of Pittencrieff Street, appeared in the dock last Wednesday after previously admitting that on October 19, 2016, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm by repeatedly shouting abusive comments to woman which related to her disability.

Solicitor Alexander Flett said his client had previously resided at the family home, however, after an incident, he was asked to leave and was homeless for a short period of time before obtaining his own tenancy.

"Circumstances took a turn for the worse in the course of 2017 and this offence was one of a number of offences committed during the course of that year," he told Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

"His conduct on the night in question was abhorrent. He had significant difficulty in accepting he was capable of behaving in such a way. When it became clear that the person described by the complainer in her statement was Mr Doig, he was fairly horrified.

"He recognises that alcohol played a fairly significant part."

Sheriff Charles Macnair said he was "just prepared" to give Doig a non-custodial sentence.

"This incident came about when the complainer, who suffers from a disability, was going about her business in Dunfermline who was then subjected to abuse by you and your behaviour that night was despicable," he said.

"You have a record and that includes offences of disorder. You are becoming very, very close to receiving a custodial sentence for this sort of behaviour."

Doig was placed on a community payback order requiring him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work within six months.