Inverness woman admits assaulting two Lidl employees
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A woman who admitted three assaults committed within nine days was told by a sheriff to "stop acting like an animal".
But Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald decided against jailing 39-year-old Lorraine Beavis, of St Margaret's Road, Inverness after being told that "she had got a grip of her drug and alcohol problem".
Beavis had previously admitted assaulting two staff members at Lidl supermarket in Telford Street on April 21, 2022.
She also pleaded guilty to attacking her elderly neighbour nine days later by repeatedly striking her on the body, causing her to fall to the ground and hit her head. Sentence had been deferred for a background report.
Beavis was ordered to pay her neighbour £300 in compensation, carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and remain under social work supervision for three years.
But Beavis was warned if she did not fully comply she would go to jail.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Beavis had gone into the supermarket but had been previously banned from entering. When two staff asked her to leave, she pushed one and then repeatedly spat at him.
The other employee had her hair pulled and was punched several times.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh said that on April 30, Beavis's neighbour heard a smashing noise in the early hours and when she looked out she saw one of her flower pots had been damaged.
The woman confronted Beavis at her home telling her that it would be reported to the police.
Ms Duffy-Welsh added: "As she was leaving, she was approached from behind and struck several times to the shoulder area. Her hair was grabbed and the woman was pushed to the ground and struck her head."
Defence solicitor Duncan Henderson told the court: "She is truly sorry for her behaviour. She was failing to cope with her chaotic lifestyle in 2022. But she appears to have got a grip of her drug and alcohol problem and when she is sober she is described in the social work report as a pleasant insightful woman.
"There have been no further difficulties with her neighbour."
