A MUSSELBURGH woman turned up at a man’s door accusing him of stealing hundreds of pounds collected at her father’s funeral.

Caroline Fraser accused Brian Cairns of taking £500 from her home which she had been intending to use to pay for a memorial plaque in memory of her late father.

Fraser arrived at Mr Cairns’ home at the town’s Delta Road and began shouting “thief” and calling the man “a ****ing b******” following the money going missing.

A struggle then developed between the pair and neighbours were forced to call in the police to stop the trouble.

The incident led to 51-year-old Fraser being arrested and she appeared in the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Tuesday accused of acting in an aggressive manner towards the man and to uttering abusive remarks at him.

Fraser, of Old Course Gate, admitted the offence and had her not guilty plea to assaulting Mr Cairns by scratching him on the body accepted by the Crown. The court was told that Fraser and her sister arrived at Mr Cairns’ home at about 4pm on July 3.

Fraser began shouting and swearing that Mr Cairns had stolen the money she had put away for her father’s plaque when he visited her home previously.

A physical altercation then ensued between Fraser and Mr Cairns and concerned neighbours informed the police.

Unemployed Fraser was then arrested and charged the following day.

Fraser claimed that she noticed the money was missing after Mr Cairns visited her and told her he had been shoplifting and considered himself to be “a kleptomaniac” – someone who is unable to refrain from stealing. The court heard that Mr Cairns continued to deny stealing the funeral cash.

Sheriff John Cook deferred sentence to December 12 for Fraser to be of good behaviour and to engage with support services.