A NORTH Berwick man who threatened to “kill someone” in a late-night knife incident has been placed on supervision.

Finlay McDonald approached Darren Kellet and Sophie Robertson as they were making their way home on the town’s Grange Road.

McDonald, 20, started a conversation with the couple before pulling a knife from his waistband and uttering threats to the pair.

He shouted he was “going to kill someone” before repeatedly stabbing the 10-inch blade into a fence.

Both Mr Kellet and Ms Robertson managed to run from the scene and hide in a nearby garden for about 30 minutes until they were sure McDonald had left the area.

McDonald, of Lime Grove, appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month and pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by following the pair, acting in an aggressive manner, producing and brandishing a knife, uttering threats of violence and repeatedly striking a fence there on October 4, 2015. A charge of knife possession in a public place was dropped.

McDonald was back at the city court for sentencing last Wednesday.

Previously, fiscal depute Iain Batho told the court that the couple were making their way home when McDonald stopped them in the street and asked for a cigarette paper.

Mr Batho said: “They advised him they didn’t have one and kept walking. The accused continued to follow them and approached them again and said he knew Ms Robertson from school.

“Out of nowhere, the accused pulled out a large kitchen knife from the waistband of his trousers.

“He was waving it in front of them, shouting he was going to kill someone. He was then seen striking a fence with the knife before telling them to leave.”

McDonald was then traced to his home address by police officers after the couple had phoned the emergency services. Police found the blade on a kitchen counter in McDonald’s home.

Last Wednesday, Sheriff Thomas Welsh decided to issue McDonald with two years of supervision.