A TRANENT woman has been congratulated by a sheriff on making significant “lifestyle changes” which have helped her escape being placed on a community order.

Kimberley Notman had previously admitted assaulting a child at her home address at the town’s The Hedges on August 19.

Notman threw a shoe at the child which struck her on the head and also grabbed the youngster by the hair and pointed her to a bed.

She returned to Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Friday, where a sheriff decided not to place her on a community payback order as she had made inroads to change her behaviour.

Solicitor Angela Craig told the court that her 43-year-old client was engaging well with social workers and had attended “counselling sessions to address her underlying issues”.

Sheriff Wendy Sheehan said the “community payback order was now not necessary” but added the first offender now had a criminal record that could impact on any future job applications.

Sheriff Sheehan said if Notman stayed out of trouble over the next six months, she could expect to be admonished when she returned to court for sentencing.

Sentence was deferred to April 29 next year.