A woman blasted her neighbours’ house with a paintball gun, claiming she was trying to quieten their barking dogs.
Dawn Walls first lit a firework and then let rip with the paintball attack in a long-running dispute about the barking from next door, a court heard.
Walls, 45, of Braemount, Cowdenbeath, admitted that on October 26 2015 at her home she behaved in a threatening or abusive manner by repeatedly firing a paintball gun at the neighbouring house, shouted, swore, threatened police officers with violence and challenged them to fight.
She then assaulted police officer Nicola Keiller by repeatedly kicking her on the body before assaulting PC Aaron Bratton, by kicking him on the body.
Depute fiscal Gary McMullan told Dunfermline Sheriff Court, “At 10.50pm neighbours became concerned at the sound of loud bangs, coming from the rear of the property which sounded like fireworks were being let off.
“On looking out the window it became clear that the accused was holding a paintball gun and using it to strike the kitchen window of the neighbour’s house.”
When challenged by her neighbour, Walls started shouting and swearing and police were called. However, before officers arrived she fired more shots, this time at a bedroom window.
She then went to the front of the house and fired shots in the air. She was again challenged about her conduct but continued to shout and swear.
At 11.45pm officers arrived and Walls’ was arrested. As she was being taken from the property she told a police officer, “I’m going to kill you, let’s fight.” She turned around and kicked out at the officer. She then assaulted a second policeman.
Defence solicitor Ian Beatson said a dispute had been going on for around six months and his client had been upset about the noise of dogs barking and disturbing her children’s sleep.
“She formed the view that the neighbours were deliberately antagonising the dogs to make them bark louder,” he continued.
“She let off a firework which silenced the dogs. For reasons best known to herself she took a paintball gun hoping that the noise would stop the dogs from barking.
“She lost her temper or as she says ‘flipped out’. She realises it was an extremely stupid thing to do.”
Sheriff Eric Brown imposed a community payback order with 135 hours of unpaid work.