A mum-of-three tore out clumps of another woman’s hair leaving bald patches during an attack in a town’s high street.
Catherine Young was ordered to pay victim Emily Carr £300 in compensation after admitting the assault in Haddington, East Lothian.
The 30-year-old had a guilty plea to assault accepted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Wednesday. Her attendance at the hearing had been excused.
Fiscal depute Hilary Dyer said the victim, who was 19 at the time, was walking with friends to meet another pal at around 1am.
Ms Dyer said: “The accused approached her and started shouting about a mutual acquaintance.
“She approached Ms Carr in an aggressive manner and pushed her.
“Ms Carr then pushed the accused back whereby the accused lost her balance and fell to the ground.
“She got straight back up and grabbed Ms Carr by the hair and pulled her to the ground.”
Ms Dyer said Young kicked at the victim on the floor but “failed to make contact”.
The court heard witnesses intervened and Young fled the scene.
Ms Dyer said the victim suffered a “skint knee” and, after she attended a police station, it was noticed she had “bald patches to her head where her hair had been pulled out”.
Defence agent Mary Moultrie said her client had been upset by an alleged comment made about one of her friends.
She added Young had “not been in trouble” since the incident.
Dickson admitted the assault in the town’s High Street on March 3 last year by pulling the victim by the hair, pulling her to the ground, and attempting to kick her on the head, all to her injury.
Sheriff Peter McCormack ordered Young, of Haddington, to pay a compensation order.
