A signature was forged after a Dunfermline couple separated leaving the wife being denied her share of the family home.

The fraud was carried out by 61-year-old Donald Booth in a bid to steal his estranged wife’s half of the property.

Booth, currently a prisoner, was found guilty after a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He was convicted of a charge that he formed a fraudulent scheme to obtain sole title to the matrimonial home and the entire proceeds of the sale.

Then between August 5 and December 16, 2016, he forged or had forged the signature of his ex-wife on a separation agreement and a deed purporting to transfer sole title to the matrimonial home into his name.

He then uttered the documents as genuine to a solicitor and the Registers of Scotland.

He also induced employees of the Registers of Scotland to alter the registration details to record him as the sole owner of the matrimonial home.

He then instructed the marketing and sale of the house, whereby the property was purchased.

However, the truth, which he well knew, was that his ex-wife did not consent to the transfer or sale of the matrimonial home, and that he thereafter retained the whole proceeds of the sale of £233,597 by fraud.

Most of the trial took place without Booth in the dock after he repeatedly caused disturbances trying to shout over the sheriff.

In her evidence, his ex-wife told the court it had cost her £40,000 in legal fees to have the house put back to her name.

Booth will remain in custody until sentencing on June 22.