By Lanarkshire Live

Copyright dailyrecord

A man warned his former partner he would set her Coatbridge house on fire if she didn’t give him £1000. Owen McCready admitted attempting to extort the cash from the woman at her home in Irvine Crescent on October 14 last year. McCready, 34, of Broomlands Street, Paisley, was the subject of three bail orders from Airdrie Sheriff Court at the time. He returned to court this week for sentencing. His lawyer said McCready had an undiagnosed mental health issue and “couldn’t stop himself saying these things which he feels bad about”. The solicitor added: “He was using alcohol and drugs but has since been diagnosed and is on medication. It would appear he is in the process of turning his life around and is taking all the help being offered.” The court heard McCready is currently doing unpaid community work in relation to another case and sentencing options were limited. Sheriff Derek Livingston deferred sentence for six months for good behaviour but warned him: “Be under no illusions, if you are of good behaviour I’ll be imposing a substantial alternative to a custodial sentence.” The sheriff accepted there were “some encouraging signs” in background reports. *Don’t miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here . And did you know Lanarkshire Live had its own app? Download yours for free here .