A NURSERY nurse has been ordered to pay a woman compensation following a street assault in Haddington.

Erin Bissett attacked a woman by pushing her to the ground and punching and kicking her to the body as she lay on the street.

Bissett, 23, also pulled clumps of hair from the victim’s head during the violent altercation.

Following the brutal assault, police were called and Bissett was later arrested and charged.

The mother-of-one pleaded guilty to an assault charge when she appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Wednesday.

Fiscal depute Miriam Clark told the court that Bissett and her friends had met the victim in Haddington town centre at about 1.30am on March 29, 2019.

After a brief and peaceful exchange, Bissett claimed she heard “disparaging remarks” about her and began assaulting the woman.

Bissett initially walked away but she returned to confront the woman about the comments she believed she had heard and both women began fighting.

Bissett pulled the woman to the ground by the hair and was said to have “repeatedly punched and kicked” her on the body as she lay on the ground.

A male friend of Bissett managed to pull her away from the incident but, as the victim was walking away, Bissett “ran at her and punched her in the face”, causing her to fall to the ground again.

Ms Clark said that “a male pulled her off for a second time” and the police were subsequently contacted.

Officers attended at the victim’s home, where they noticed she had blood coming from her nose and “clumps of hair came away in her hand”.

The woman was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh but her injuries were said to be “superficial”.

Bissett was traced to her home address in June that year and was cautioned and charged with the assault.

Solicitor Angela Craig said that her client was a first offender and that the two women were known to each other prior to the assault.

Ms Craig said that Bissett had reacted angrily after hearing “disparaging comments” about her and that she was “thoroughly ashamed” at what she did.

The lawyer added that Bissett was a nursery nurse and her employers were aware of the court case.

Ms Craig said that Bissett had recently become a mother for the first time.

Sheriff Douglas Campbell said: “There is no excuse for behaviour of this kind, none whatsoever.”

The sheriff told Bissett she must pay the victim £200 in compensation and also fined her £360.