A 23-YEAR-OLD man went to his mum’s house armed with a meat cleaver, accompanied by two other masked males.

The incident occurred in Inverkeithing just after Christmas following a dispute within the family.

Liam McGarvie and his masked raiders entered the house shouting and swearing. He was making threats and swung the meat cleaver, striking a bannister.

McGarvie, 23, currently a prisoner, appeared for trial before a jury at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

The trial heard that McGarvie was living in homeless accommodation in Dunfermline at the time.

He initially denied the charges he faced but shortly into the trial he submitted guilty pleas.

He admitted that on December 28, at an address in Inverkeithing, whilst acting along with unknown others, he struck a door, entered the house uninvited with others whose faces were masked, repeatedly shouted, swore and made threats of violence, brandished a meat cleaver and struck a bannister with it, causing damage.

He also admitted that at the same address, he was unlawfully in possession of a bladed weapon in a public place.

His ‘not guilty’ plea to a charge of assaulting his brother by attempting to strike him with the meat cleaver was accepted.

There was then a disruption in the dock with the accused struggling with custody officers before being taken to the cells.

Sheriff Charles MacNair told the jury: “This sort of behaviour does happen from time to time unfortunately.”

With McGarvie still in the cells, the sheriff called for reports and sentencing will take place on June 4. McGarvie will remain in custody until then.

He was previously jailed for threatening ambulance staff who were trying to help his girlfriend after a suspected overdose.

On that occasion, the paramedics arrived to find McGarvie in an “irate” state. He told them: “You better sort out my girlfriend or else”.