A WOMAN was grabbed by the hair and punched repeatedly by a male neighbour in Dunfermline.

The pair had been drinking in each other’s company leading up to the assault, Dunfermline Sheriff Court was told.

In the dock was Raymond Thomson, 32, of Peirson Road, Dunfermline.

He admitted that on September 7, 2019, at Peirson Road, he assaulted a woman by seizing her by the hair and punching her repeatedly.

Depute fiscal Mat Piskorz said the incident involved a neighbour who lived in the same close as Thomson.

At around 11pm, she had come to his flat and asked for a cigarette. He refused and then the assault occurred.

“He seized her by the hair and punched her three times on her back and this was seen by his mother,” added the depute.

When later arrested, Thomson told police: “Ah ken that but she hit me first. It was self-defence.”

Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said there was no relationship between the two but his client had met her that night.

He went on: “Alcohol had been consumed and she had made unpleasant comments towards him and he says she called him a ‘mongol’.

“He accepts he should have walked away. He has a background of mental health difficulties.”

Sheriff Charles Macnair told Thomson: “This was a nasty assault and you have a record of violence stretching back to 2010 including assault and robbery.”

The sheriff imposed a restriction of liberty order for 135 days and ordered Thomson to pay £400 compensation.