Pee-on-settee attacker jailed
Published 12 Jul 2012 09:29
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A GIRLS' night in has resulted in a year-long prison sentence for a Haddington woman who attacked a friend who "wet herself" while sitting on her sofa.
Jeanette Cairey, 43 - described as "permanently disabled" - admitted she repeatedly punched Pauline Clark on the head and body, causing her severe injury, on April 17 at Cairey's home on Seggarsdean Crescent.
Depute procurator fiscal Alison Innes told Haddington Sheriff Court that the 52-year-old victim was a friend of Cairey and had been drinking alcohol at her home, along with another friend, on the night of the incident.
She said: "The friends arrived at the house at around 8pm in the evening and all were drinking alcohol.
"It was about midnight when the assault happened.
"The complainer who was sitting on a sofa wet herself and Cairey became very angry.
"She dragged the complainer off the sofa and assaulted her, punching her repeatedly on her head and body.
"Police were called and attended within five minutes.
"The complainer was taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, while officers described Cairey as being clearly under the influence of alcohol."
Ms Clark was left with swelling around her right cheekbone, bruises around both her ears and blood coming from her nose, and may have lost consciousness during the attack.
Though Cairey admitted to police officers she had punched Ms Clark when they attended at the home, the next day when police interviewed her she said she could not remember what had happened, other than she had ended up covered in blood.
But solicitor Angela Craig told the court last Wednesday that Cairey accepted full responsibility for the incident, and asked Sheriff Peter Braid to consider two letters of support from community groups who had been helping Cairey deal with her "long-standing alcohol" problem.
A string of previous offences which had taken place in 2010 had all been alcohol-related, added the lawyer. However Cairey had no outstanding cases.
The lawyer said: "She is described by the two community groups which support her as a vulnerable lady but someone who is caring and likeable. A psychiatric report shows she has previously attempted to take her own life, which has left her permanently disabled.
"She is ashamed of being in this situation. She accepts, due to the grave nature of the offence, a custodial sentence is inevitable."
Sheriff Braid sentenced her to 12 months' imprisonment.
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