A woman was attacked violently by her partner in a row over a phone call.

He then threatened to petrol-bomb the homes of the woman’s family.

The incident occurred when the couple were staying with a friend in High Valleyfield just before Christmas.

Sandy Ross, 27, appeared from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on December 19, at Pentland Terrace, High Valleyfield, he assaulted his partner and kicked her on the body repeatedly, to her injury.

He also admitted that in a phone call to another female, he shouted, swore, made threats towards her and threats to damage property.

Depute fiscal Laura McManus said the couple were now separated but had been in a relationship at the time and that the partner was pregnant, although this had not been confirmed by the Crown.

At the time of the incident the couple had been staying with a friend in High Valleyfield.

The woman was on the phone to her stepmother when Ross had come into the room asking who she was phoning.

She replied: “None of your business," the court was told.

Ross began to kick her on the shins and struck her on the arms and stomach, added the depute.

The woman then arranged for her dad to come and pick her up, which he did.

Later, Ross phoned the woman’s stepmum and began making threats.

He said: “You can run but you can’t hide. Every single one of (the complainer’s) family is getting it. Watch your backs.”

He also made threats about petrol-bombing their homes.

The court was told Ross, who was later traced in Berwick-on-Tweed, does not accept the woman was pregnant at the time.

Sheriff Charles Macnair said further investigations would have to carried out to establish if she was indeed pregnant when assaulted.

He made it clear Ross would be facing a jail term, adding: “The only question is the length of that sentence.”

The sheriff deferred sentence until February 10 and Ross was remanded in custody until then.