Mum paid lockdown no heed by meeting enemy for ‘square go’

COURT: Fight at Fife playpark was watched by five other women

A mother breached lockdown rules to meet an enemy in a playpark at midnight for a “square go”, watched by a circle of five other women, a court heard.

Margaret Carr, 37, arranged the fight with the other woman, who was not named, because she had “issues” with her teenage daughter.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard the racket made by the skirmish alerted police in Methil.

Prosecutor Caitlin French said: “Around midnight, police officers were carrying out foot patrols and became aware of a number of females shouting in a park nearby.

“About six or seven females were in a circle and the accused was squaring up and starting to throw punches at another female, shouting and making threats.”

Ms French said officers “initially took hold of the accused” and back-up was requested.

She had to be taken to the ground by the officers as she struggled against them, the fiscal said.

She said: “The officers started to take her towards a police vehicle and she became essentially a dead weight.”

Carr shouted at police officers and when the police van cage door was opened, she kicked out at one, narrowly missing his leg.

She was arrested and charged and said: “I accept that, I was resisting arrest.”

Carr, of Simon Crescent, Methilhill, Leven, pled guilty to statutory breach of the peace and resisting police.

The incident occurred in the playpark in Patterson Street, Methil, on March 18.

Rebecca Cross, defending, said: “The accused and the other female were throwing punches and making threats at each other – it wasn’t a one-sided thing.

“There was an exchange of text messages.

“They both agreed to meet. “They knew what was going to be going on.”

Ms Cross said Carr had been “under extreme stress” at the time and when the police intervened she lashed out.

Sheriff Derek Livingston said: “This was possibly aggravated, though it’s not charged, by the fact that by that stage we were all effectively in lockdown.

“Your client has decided to go out for a planned square go.”

Carr was fined £420.

The UK formally went into lockdown on March 23, five days after the incident, but strict social distancing measures were already in place when it occurred.

“The accused and the other female were throwing punches and making threats at each other – it wasn’t a one-sided thing. REBECCA CROSS