A woman has been cleared of assaulting a Perthshire shopkeeper during a heated altercation over a broken plant pot.
Joanne Reed went on trial accused of attacking Sharon Rice outside her business in Dunkeld by striking her on the head and body with her own shop sign.
Ms Rice told police her “teeth rattled” and she felt her head move back with the impact.
Ms Reed, 53, admitted she swung the 2ft by 2ft sign at Ms Rice because she “felt trapped.”
Under cross-examination, she said it was “highly unlikely but possible” she had struck her alleged victim on the chin.
She walked free from court after a sheriff ruled her actions were “proportionate.”
Sentimental plant
The court heard Ms Reed had lived upstairs from Ms Rice’s Not On The Main Street shop in St Ninian’s Garden.
Ms Reed told her trial when she took her dog for a walk on the morning of August 9 2021, she spotted the shop sign “rammed” into a large plant at the bottom of the steps.
She said the plant was a Hosta that had been given to her by her father before she moved to Scotland.
“All the leaves were smashed off and the pot was cracked open.
“I picked up the sign and walked off with it.”
Ms Rice approached her in the courtyard.
“She asked me for the sign back and I said no.
“She kept shouting at me and following me. I couldn’t get away.
“I was trapped. I couldn’t go anywhere and I told her if she came any closer, I would hit her with the sign.”
Ms Reed said the incident happened during Covid restrictions and she did not have a hand free to put on her mask.
“She kept lunging at me. I thought she was trying to snatch the sign.
“She kept following, so I swung the sign in her direction.”
Ms Reed told her solicitor David Holmes she later put the sign “some place safe” and continued on her walk.
She was charged with assault later that day.
‘Credible’ evidence
Ms Rice told the trial Ms Reed said she was going to throw the sign away.
“Then she turned around and hit me with it.
“She had both hands on the side of the board and she caught me under the jaw.”
She said: “I feel fine now but it took a few months to get over it.”
Sheriff Garry Sutherland told Ms Reed: “This is an unusual trial.
“I found your evidence credible and in the circumstances you could not escape, felt threatened and your actions were proportionate in swinging the sign in the direction of the complainer.”
Ms Reed replied “thank you very much,” as she was found not guilty of assault.
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