It took four officers to get a Campbeltown woman into a police cell, the town’s sheriff court was told.
This happened after Adela Stimpson, of 4 Pensioners Row, had assaulted a barman at Campbeltown hotel, only weeks after she had slapped a woman at another hotel in the town.
Sheriff Euan Cameron told her at the November sitting that her behaviour was “deplorable”.
“People should be able to go to their work without experiencing violent, drunken outbursts from you,” he said.
Stimpson, 53, admitted she assaulted a woman by slapping her in the face on August 20 last year and threatening and abusive behaviour when she shouted, swore and uttered homophobic remarks.
Procurator fiscal depute Ewan Nicholson said that the owner of the hotel had seen Stimpson enter the hotel and told staff to only serve her soft drinks as she was intoxicated; she became abusive at this and was escorted from the premises and told to walk away and go home. It was then that she slapped the woman.
Then, on September 9, Stimpson tried to get served in another hotel bar. She admitted that she assaulted a man there by kicking and punching him on the body and head, and grabbing his hair, to his injury.
The fiscal said the man had gone to get a female member of staff to help remove Stimpson as she had been barred from the premises previously.
As they were ushering her out, she kicked the man “five or six times to his left hip and shins causing bruising and a graze on the left shin,” said the fiscal, who added: “As the 65-year-old man turned to go back inside, she pulled a chunk of his hair out.”
Police attended and she was arrested and taken to the town’s police station. She admitted assaulting an officer in the execution of his duty, attempting to bite him and acting in a racially aggressive manner towards another.
“It took four officers to get her into a cell,” said the fiscal.
In her defence, John B McGeechan said: “She has, and has had, alcohol and other deep problems; she is older and should know better; rehabilitation aspects are needed here.”
After reading social work reports, Sheriff Cameron said it was only by the smallest of margins that he was persuaded to place Stimpson on a community payback order and not send her to prison.
The order covered all the offences before the court and was for two years, requiring her to be supervised to help her rehabilitation and opportunities to address her alcohol difficulties.
She must also carry out 254 hours of unpaid work in the community within 12 months.
Stimpson was also placed on a restriction of liberty order for six months, with a home curfew of 7pm-7am.
The sheriff warned her that if she did not comply with the order or breached her curfew, she would be sent to prison.
“This is a direct alternative to custody,” he said.