Tain glass attack £2,500 payout
AN OFF-DUTY waitress who severed a tendon in a woman’s arm when she threw a wine glass at her during a party has been ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to her victim.
Kathryn Munro (24) of Back Street, Hilton, had joined friends for a night out after finishing her work at the Mansfield Hotel, Tain Sheriff Court heard last week.
Procurator fiscal Roderick Urquhart said Munro tried to catch up with her friends who had already been drinking in other licensed premises
She began drinking rapidly and they went to a flat at midnight for a party. During the party she bumped into a guest and drink was spilt.
Later at 2.40am Munro threw a glass in the direction of another guest, Tracy Offin.
Mr Urquhart said the glass struck her on the arm and others went to her assistance and tried to tie a tourniquet to stem the bleeding.
“An ambulance was called and she was found to have a deep cut five centimetres in length and was treated at the accident and emergency unit of Raigmore Hospital, Inverness,” he said.
“The severed tendon required surgery. She required several stitches to her right forearm and the muscle was severed. It will leave a permanent scar.”
But he said Ms Offin would have no lasting difficulty using her arm.
Mr Urquhart said when Munro was interviewed by police she recalled throwing a wine glass but added, “I must have snapped. I think in my mind what I meant to do was throw the drink over her.”
Munro admitted that at 10 Lamington Street, Tain on August 10 last year she culpably and recklessly threw a drinking glass towards Tracy Offin which struck her on the arm causing severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Iain Innes, solicitor, said Munro was a first offender and is full of remorse.
“She accepts in full what happened that particular night. She accepts the reason is she had too much to drink over four or five hours and lost control,” he said.
“She’s an intelligent woman, knows exactly what went wrong and is going to take steps to ensure this never happens again.”
Sheriff David Sutherland said he felt the appropriate way of dealing with the offence would be by a £2,500 compensation order payable to the victim.