A DUNFERMLINE man who caused his street to be cordoned off in a disturbance has been sentenced to 150 hours of unpaid work. 

Mark Monaghan threatened his neighbours with extreme violence when he got fed up with their DIY project on Blake Street.
Police cordoned off the area on July 20 because of his behaviour. 

Monaghan, 57, of Blake Street, previously admitted that on July 20, he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner which was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm in that he did shout, swear, utter threats of violence, brandish a wooden pole or similar implement, expose his buttocks, strike windows and a door there and act in an aggressive manner. 

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf told Dunfermline Sheriff Court it was around 3pm when Monaghan’s neighbours were carrying out decorative work. 

An hour later, the neighbours could hear the accused shouting and swearing outside. 

He said to one man: “I am going to get my f***ing axe.” When the man’s father joined him, Monaghan continued to shout and swear at him too, saying: “I’m going to f***ing chin you, I am going to f***ing chin your son.”

At some point through the incident, Monaghan went to his shed and brought back a wooden pole. He also exposed his buttocks and slapped it while shouting and swearing. He also ran up to the windows and door of his neighbour’s home hitting them. 

Defence solicitor Alexander Flett told the court the neighbours were in the process of moving in and over the course of a few months there had been ongoing DIY work.

“It involved a significant amount of noise at anti-social hours,” Mr Flett said.

“Mr Monaghan does understand they were trying to make the home habitual but it went on for three months. 

"It was a very difficult time for him because of personal issues and there are previous issues which maybe mean that he doesn’t react as he should. 

“He does not seek to justify what he did, he is just trying to give the context of what he saw as a prolonged amount of time of work at unsociable hours. 

“He hopes to put this matter behind him.”

Sheriff Charles Macnair said: “This was a violent piece of behaviour. 
“Whilst I accept that noise can be irritating, equally people are entitled to carry out work.

“At the time of this incident, the work was not being carried out at anti-social hours. 

"You threatened people and you went to your shed for a weapon.”