A GOUROCK woman has been tagged for slapping her estranged pal and threatening to 'leather' her outside the Oak Mall shopping centre.

Gillian Smith assaulted her former friend after the pair had fallen out over a number of disagreements and disturbances.

Smith, 34, 'reacted in the heat of the moment' after encountering the woman by chance, a sentencing hearing at the sheriff court was told.

Procurator fiscal depute Flora Napier said: "At 11.30am [on November 18, 2021] the witness was walking from Tobago Street through the town centre, and as she was walking down a footpath near the Oak Mall she observed the accused walking towards her.

"They knew each other from being previous acquaintances.

"The accused began to walk aggressively towards the complainer, who feared she was going to attack her.

"As she walked by she struck her to the back of the head, shouting: 'You're lucky I'm not leathering you.'"

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Defence solicitor Aidan Gallagher said the women did have a close relationship but 'due to a disagreement' they had fallen out and were 'no longer on speaking terms'.

Mr Gallagher said: "The complainer had made some derogatory remarks and she [Smith] has reacted to that in the heat of the moment.

"It was a chance meeting and thankfully it did not go beyond that."

The lawyer said that the complainer 'is not necessarily an unknown quantity' within the sheriff court.

Mr Gallagher added: "[Smith's] type of lifestyle has been a problem, perhaps if she was restricted to her address it could give her some form of stability."

Sheriff Neil Kinnear imposed a 12-month electronic tagging order, meaning Smith, of Davidson Drive in Gourock, will be restricted to her home address each night between the hours of 7pm and 7am.

The sheriff told her: "You have got a fairly lengthy record and that does not do you any great credit."