A woman threatened to kill her partner as she was being arrested for stabbing him after a drunken argument.
Ashley McGregor attacked David Lyall with a kitchen knife, leaving him with a cut one or two centimetres long, on March 6 last year.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard McGregor had been arguing about her partner being asked to work an extra shift at an Arbroath pub.
The couple began drinking together after his shift finished and things escalated at her flat.
After pleading guilty at the first opportunity, McGregor was placed on a restriction of liberty order.
Altercation
Fiscal depute Stephanie Hendry told the court: “The witness was asked to work an extra shift at his place of employment, a pub in Arbroath.
“The accused was unhappy that the witness was having to work on his day off.”
The prosecutor said the couple had been together for about 15 years.
“The accused spoke via text message and phone call and made arrangements to meet at his work once he’d finished so that they could both go out for a drink,” said Ms Hendry.
“The witness was reluctant to go out which upset the accused, however he agreed to it.”
McGregor didn’t attend when Mr Lyall clocked off, but he found her by chance in another pub.
Ms Hendry added: “Both parties consumed a number of drinks.
“They bickered throughout the night about various things.”
Back to flat
The couple returned to McGregor’s top floor Chalmers Street flat before midnight and the arguing continued.
Ms Hendry explained: “At around 11pm, both parties arrived at the locus together.
“Both were intoxicated and there were still ill feelings between them.
“At some point within the living room, the witness lost a leg from his glasses.
“The accused began to argue with him. This upset him.”
McGregor told Mr Lyall to leave and he agreed to once he’d found the missing leg.
They moved to the kitchen and McGregor armed herself.
“The accused picked up a large black kitchen knife, approximately 12 inches in length.
“She brandished it towards the witness and told him ‘I’m going to f***ing kill you’ or words to that effect.”
She stuck the knife into his abdomen, causing a scratch, before putting the blade down.
McGregor phoned 999 and told the call handler: “I just stabbed him,” and described the injury as “pathetic.”
Police arrived and seized the knife.
McGregor told officers: “I just poked him in the chest with the knife.”
At around 1.15am, she was escorted into a marked police vehicle.
As this was happening, she said: “I’m going to f***ing kill him next time.”
In court
At a hearing in May, McGregor admitted stabbing and injuring Mr Lyall and acting in a threatening or abusive manner.
Sentencing was deferred for background reports.
Solicitor Billy Rennie also tendered letters to the court written by McGregor’s victim and by her mental health supporter.
He said: “Clearly the nature of the charge is of some concern.
“She is 49 without any previous convictions.
“There doesn’t appear to have been any police involvement.
“I think there was a very quick realisation.
“She perhaps realised the extent of what she had done.
“She was the one who phoned the police, albeit for other reasons, then fully confessed.
“This is one very much isolated incident.”
He added: “This has been a very significant strain on her for the last 18 months.
“This has very much hit home to her about her behaviour.
“I’d be very surprised to see her in court again.”
Sentenced
McGregor’s case began life on petition but was previously reduced to a summary complaint.
Sheriff Krista Johnston placed her on a 7pm to 7am curfew for 60 days.
She said: “Your solicitor has very properly identified – and you do too – that the charge is a serious one.
“In a way, that could have been absolutely catastrophic.
“You’ve no record, you’ve had significant mental health difficulties and you’ve taken steps to address them.
“While I have to mark this incident by considering a custodial sentence, I will not impose one and I will impose an alternative.”
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