A Montrose woman who cost £628 in lost police time has been fined £350 by Sheriff Peter Paterson.
Gemma Cuthill (31), of Inch Terrace, Montrose, admitted falsely reporting to police in Arbroath that a man had attempted to steal her handbag on September 9.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond said Cuthill was waiting at the bus stop when she flagged down a driver and asked him to take her to the police station.
She told police she had been approached by a man who told her to give him her bag while she was waiting on a bus.
She gave a description of the man and door-to-door inquiries were carried out and a press release issued to the media.
Cuthill later owned up and said she had earlier been chatted up at a party by a man who later approached her at the bus stop and wanted her phone number.
Defence agent Keith Mackinnon said the man spoke to his client inappropriately and she overreacted and felt threatened.
He said she flagged down the driver and told him the man had tried to take her handbag and when she got to the police station she repeated the story.
He told the court she was very apologetic for her actions.
