Kicking the bottle after assault

A SHETLAND woman narrowly escaped jail yesterday morning (Wednesday) after she admitted assaulting another woman by smashing a bottle over her head.

Caroline Tulloch, aged 29, of 40 Norstane, Lerwick, had been drinking with a friend in a flat at Harbour Street when the incident occurred on 28 December last year.

Tulloch was so remorseful that she called the police immediately, and the woman was taken to hospital where she was treated for a one inch graze to the head.

Defence agent Tommy Allan said that Tulloch had a long standing drink problem, but she was now so ill that her body could no longer stand alcohol. However during a spell in Cornton Vale prison she had picked up another addiction to illegal substances, which she was now dealing with, he said.

“If she didn’t drink she wouldn’t get into trouble. If she has genuinely stopped drinking it would not surprise me if she doesn’t appear in this court again,” Mr Allan said.

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Sheriff Derek Livingston said that he would not send Tulloch to jail because she appeared to be genuinely remorseful about her actions and she was “at long last” doing something to sort herself out.

Putting her on probation for two years and giving her 180 hours community service, the sheriff said: “It’s fair to point out that you have been extremely close to a custodial sentence and if there is any further offending I don’t see the court has any alternative.”