Prison warning for woman who lashed out at cops

Sentence deferred

A St Ninians woman who struggled violently with police officers has had a court order forbidding her from contacting a friend lifted.

Elizabeth Margaret MacLean, of Cultenhove Road, resisted, obstructed or hindered two officers and lashed out with her body during a disturbance at Falkirk Police Office on February 18 last year.

The 20-year-old also behaved in a threatening and abusive manner by repeatedly shouting and swearing at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert on April 1.

And on July 7 she then conducted herself in a disorderly manner by shouting and swearing, sitting in the middle of the road preventing traffic from passing, and shouting suicidal intentions while on Cultenhove Road.

Defence solicitor Frazer McCready spoke on behalf of MacLean who was appearing in the dock from custody in relation to all three matters on Wednesday morning.

Mr McCready said: “She is currently spending her first time in detention and she is due to be released on February 20 [Monday].

“I would ask that you defer matters to allow her to go back in to the community. She knows what will happen if she re-offends.

“She also wants special bail conditions that she cannot be in contact with the co-accused [on the July 7 charge] removed. She wants to be in contact with this girl, she wants a friendship with this girl.

“She can become isolated in the community and doesn’t have a great deal of support. Her friends are her family.”

Fiscal depute Adrian Fraser said: “The bail conditions were there because it was felt they were not a good influence on each other.”

However, Mr McCready replied: “To be fair, the former co-accused has been supportive of Ms MacLean, sending her emails while she’s in prison. That’s what friends are for.

“She wants to renew this friendship.”

Sheriff William Gilchrist told MacLean: “You were warned previously that if you continue to offend you would be in prison. That’s what happened.

“The three matters will be deferred for good behaviour. If you don’t stay out of trouble you will go back to prison, and you now know what that’s like.

“I’m also going to remove the special bail conditions. This is a test to see if you can be friends with her and remain out of trouble.”

Sentence was deferred for three months for good behaviour and social work reports.

If you don’t stay out of trouble you will go back to prison