A STIRLING man who forced his way into his mother’s home and made remarks suggesting he would set fire to it appeared in court last week.

On May 22, at a location in Alloa, Aidan Delaney was charged with behaving in a threatening or abusive manner that was likely to cause a reasonable person to suffer fear or alarm.

His charge also outlined that he did force entry to the property there, causing damage to electrical items.

He also stated, while in possession of a diesel cannister and lighter, that he had poured the fuel onto the floor there and uttered remarks which suggested that he did intend to set fire to said property.

On Thursday Alloa Sheriff Court heard the complainer had returned to her home to find Delaney sitting on the sofa in the living room late on in the morning, while holding the diesel and a lighter.

The rear door window had been smashed and there was damage to the flat screen TV which had been overturned and broken.

The microwave had also been destroyed and fiscal depute Susannah Hutchison told the court Delaney had damaged these items due to hearing voices from them.

His defence told the court that the accused, who appeared from custody, had been suffering a breakdown in his mental health.

The lawyer said he had been hearing voices and outlined the report highlighted issues with substance misuse.

However, the solicitor said his time on remand allowed his mental health to “stabilise to some extent”.

Delaney also appeared with an additional charge from an incident on June 22 at the Mini Market in Menteith Court, Alloa, where he behaved in a threatening or abusive manner and had an offensive weapon.

He repeatedly shouted, swore, kicked and struck the inside of a police vehicle between Alloa and Falkirk police office, uttered threats of violence and offensive remarks, and had broken his curfew.

Sheriff David Mackie warned the 23-year-old that matters were “serious” and told him to be in no doubt that they would warrant a custodial sentence.

He sentenced Delaney, of Cornhill Crescent, St Ninian’s, to a supervision period of two years with a conduct requirement to undertake mental health counselling.

He also highlighted that there were some concerning aspects in the report, like his attitude, and warned him that there was some serious work to do.