Woman made threats to jump from road bridge

COURT: Patient left hospital and went to M90 flyover, leading to road closures and traffic chaos

Traffic was brought to a halt twice in two days by a Dunfermline woman threatening to jump from a motorway bridge.

Road closures were put in place on successive days after Kimberley Macfarlane went to a flyover at the M90 near Kingseat.

Macfarlane, 23, of Pitmedden Road, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

She admitted that on January 14 and 15 at Main Street, Kingseat, she conducted herself in a disorderly manner and repeatedly positioned herself on a flyover bridge, threatened to jump from the bridge and committed a breach of the peace.

Depute fiscal Jane Rennie said Macfarlane had been a patient in Queen Margaret Hospital’s ward two at the time.

On Sunday January 14 she had been given a pass to go out and she was due to be discharged the following day.

Police were contacted by hospital staff at 12.40pm on the Sunday after they received information that the woman was going to jump off a motorway flyover.

“A number of roads in the area were closed and a road block was imposed on the M90. She was found sitting at the side of the bridge making threats to jump,” said Ms Rennie.

“After some time she agreed to remove herself and was taken back to hospital.”

At 10am the next day hospital staff again contacted the police to say Macfarlane had left. At 10.40am she was spotted by a witness back at the bridge and road closures were again put in place.

“She repeatedly made threats to jump from the bridge,” added Ms Rennie.

She eventually moved away from the bridge.

Defence solicitor Russel Mcphate said his client had sustained a broken nose playing football in 2015 and complications had led to further health problems.

“There was a deterioration in her mental health and she had jumped from a bridge on a previous occasion,” he said.

“She’s potentially likely to self-harm again.”

Sheriff Craig Mcsherry warned that if it became clear that Macfarlane continued to pose of risk of further offending, a custodial sentence may have to be imposed.

“A custodial sentence would at least mean that the public are not being inconvenienced in this way,” he added.

However, the sheriff said that on this occasion he would admonish her.

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She repeatedly made threats to jump from the bridge. JANE RENNIE, DEPUTE FISCAL