KARAOKE CATFIGHT
Barmaid clawed in face as night out ends in pub brawl
A barmaid was clawed across the face by a woman wearing false nails after a pub rammy erupted during a karaoke session.
Margaret Patterson suffered serious scratch marks to her face, neck, arms and chest as Lauren Bruce ripped into her at The Patter Bar in Paisley’s Old Sneddon Street.
Bizarrely, Bruce, who was with her mum and 70- year- old gran, had been enjoying a singing session before a family feud broke out in the pub.
Then, when staff intervened in a bid to break-up
the brawl, Ms Patterson was attacked, leaving her covered in scratches.
Depute fiscal Margaret McCallum told the town’s Sheriff Court that the fact that Bruce had been wearing sharp false nails made matters worse.
In court, Bruce, of the town’s Gordon Street, pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner during the outburst on March 11 last year by shouting, swearing and acting aggressively.
She also admitted assaulting Ms Patterson by repeatedly scratching her on the head and body.
Ms McCallum said that Bruce, her mother and gran had been together enjoying the karaoke session when an argument suddenly broke out as her mother was singing.
I t was when staff approached to see what was happening that Bruce acted as described and scratched her victim on the face, neck, arms and chest.
Others dragged her away and she continued to shout then stood outside but eventually left.
“The complainer suffered a number of large scratches to her neck, face, arms and chest and it was noted at the time that the accused was wearing false nails which exacerbated matters,” said Mr McCallum.
Defence agent Gemma Rathey said that her client had made contact with her victim via Facebook within 24 hours to apologise.
Bruce had around that time began to suffer from seizures and when the argument broke out and she felt that she was being prevented from leaving by the member of staff, she panicked and acted as she did as “she wished to leave the bar as soon as possible.”
“She has since expressed remorse,” she added.
“She had consumed more alcohol than she normally would and accepts that she acted inappropriately.”
Sheriff Seith Ireland made Bruce the subject of a 14-month Community Payback Order to provide any supervision that might be required and ordered her to pay £400 compensation to her victim.
He stressed the sum in question took her limited financial circumstances into consideration and added: “This cannot, of course, be seen as a full valuation of the pain suffered by the complainer.”