A woman whose abuse of a toddler at Perth Leisure Centre left witnesses “shaken and feeling sick” was fined £200 at the sheriff court.
Emma Aspinall (28), of Rannoch Road, Perth, was heard loudly berating and threatening the youngster over a 25-minute period.
At one point she told the child, “If you pick your nose again, I will shove it so far up your nose your brain will pop.”
Aspinall appeared for sentence having previously pled guilty to breaching the peace and placing the public in a state of fear and alarm during the March 17 incident.
Depute fiscal Janine Bates said, “It was observed that the child was attempting to get the accused’s attention by pulling on her sleeve.
“The accused then said to the child, ‘If you touch me, I will strike you back even harder’. She was right in the child’s face when she said this.
“At one point, the child’s finger was either near to their nose or up their nose and the accused said to them, ‘Put your finger up there again and I will slap it up there permanently’.
“The witness was deeply disturbed and horrified by this treatment of the child and was left shaken and feeling sick.”
Shortly after another woman spoke to the first witness and was told what had happened.
She took a seat at the same table and heard Aspinall shout obscenities at the youngster at regular intervals.
Ms Bates added, “The opinion of the second witness was that the child had not done anything that warranted such verbal abuse, and the language in any case was wholly inappropriate to be used towards any child.
“The other witness returned to the area and both reported what happened to a member of staff.”
Police were contacted and visited Aspinall at home the next day.
A not guilty plea to a further charge that she assaulted and injured the child with repeated strikes on the body was accepted by the Crown.
Aspinall’s defence agent said her client’s behaviour stemmed from difficulties in her past, adding she was “very embarrassed” by the way she had behaved.
She said Aspinall is hopeful she can begin a college course in auto-engineering in August.