Woman not guilty of assault on ex-partner

A CAOL woman who was charged with assault after throwing a bowl at her then partner has been found not guilty.

Sheriff William Taylor said he was not satisfied there was sufficient evidence to convict Joanne Margaret Louise Kane, 23, at Fort William Sheriff Court on Monday (January 30).

The court heard how Kane’s former partner had gone to her house at Blar Mhor Road after an afternoon in the Lochy Bar, when the pair began to argue. He said Kane had called him on numerous occasions throughout the three hours he was at the pub and the argument was because he had been out drinking during the day.

Her partner then left the house to go and get a fish supper and when he returned the argument broke out again.

The former couple’s son was upstairs sleeping when Kane was said to have picked up a porcelain bowl and ‘chucked it across the room’. The bowl was said to have shattered as it hit her ex-partner on the nose.

The court heard how Kane’s partner had then tried to take their son out of the house as he did not want him to be ‘in that environment’.

But Kane’s solicitor told the court that she had thrown the bowl in self- defence after her former partner had pinned her down on the sofa and thrown a fish supper at her.

Sheriff Taylor said the Crown did not have sufficient evidence to disprove Kane was acting in self- defence and that his view of the accused’s ex-partner was ‘not a high one’ particularly after hearing how he had tried to take the child away – something which the Sheriff said was done to hurt Kane.

Sheriff Taylor concluded by finding Kane not guilty.