A GREENOCK man breached a good behaviour order for brawling by sneaking into his ex-partner's home as she slept and hurling disgusting verbal abuse at her.

Shaun Murray entered the woman's unlocked house uninvited at 11.30pm and began accusing her of sleeping with other men, despite their relationship ending two years previously.

Greenock Sheriff Court heard how Murray, 28, had earlier texted the woman from his cousin's phone asking if he could spend the night because he had nowhere to stay.

Prosecutor Saud Ul Hassan said: "The witness replied that this would put her in an awkward position and she refused."

However, Murray still turned up at her door and proceeded to behave in a threatening or abusive manner towards his ex.

Mr Ul Hassan said: "She smelled alcohol on the accused's breath, there was tension in his voice and she asked the accused to leave.

"He began to insult her and accused her of sleeping around, he swore at her and called her a derogatory name.

"The accused then stated that if the witness would not admit she'd been sleeping with other men he'd report her to the police for causing him a facial injury.

"The witness contacted her mother for help.

"The mother heard the accused shouting and swearing in the background that he was not leaving, and calling the witness a further derogatory name."

Murray, now of Ann Street, was on a deferred sentence to be of good behaviour for fighting with another man outside Inverclyde Royal Hospital at the time of the offence on August 2.

He pleaded guilty to entering his former partner's house uninvited, shouting, swearing and refusing to leave when requested.

The court heard that police didn't interview him 'due to his level of intoxication'.

Defence lawyer Aidan Gallagher said: "Drinking is an issue and he has consulted alcohol counselling locally himself.

"The background report confirms he takes full responsibility and is remorseful and accepts that the relationship is at an end."

Sheriff Thomas Ward imposed a non-harassment order on Murray, preventing him from approaching or contacting his ex, or attempting to do so in any way, for a period of two years.

He has also been placed on a nighttime tagging curfew, ordered to complete 135 hours of unpaid work and will be under social work supervision for a year.

Sheriff Ward said that the orders are an 'alternative to immediate custodial sentence'.