A VIOLENTLY drunk woman attacked a Greenock pizza shop worker to injury by repeatedly punching him and trying to whack him with a card payment machine.

Christina McEwan, 35, lashed out at the man at 1am after entering the shut Crunchy takeaway on West Stewart Street because she needed to use the toilet, the sheriff court heard.

McEwan, of Brown Street in Port Glasgow, also assaulted a police officer by repeatedly kicking him on the body at nearby Kilblain Street.

She pleaded guilty to shouting and swearing during the shop incident, refusing to leave when asked to do so and punching the worker on the head and body.

McEwan later acted in an aggressive manner towards police officers and attacked one on the street and at Greenock police office.

 

The court heard that the takeaway had closed for business when the worker heard a noise from the counter area in the early hours of January 12 last year.

(Image: Newsquest)

McEwan was told that the shop was shut and was asked to leave the premises.

A fiscal depute told the court: “At this time, the accused began to scream and shout.

“The accused swore at him and asked for help but did not state the reason.

“He repeatedly told her to go outside. The accused then punched him to the head and body.

“She again asked for help to which he said he could not and asked her to go outside.

“The accused then lunged towards him and struck him to the face using an open hand.

“The accused grabbed his head and face with her hands.”

Police were contacted and attended the takeaway, where they observed McEwan to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The worker was noted to have scratches to his left cheek and right arm.

The fiscal depute added: “Whilst being conveyed to the police vehicle, she began to shout and swear at police officers.

"Once within the cell van, the accused lashed out at police.

“The accused kicked a police constable to his upper left leg and to his stomach area.”

McEwan was not cautioned and charged due to her ‘level of aggression’.

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Defence solicitor Gerry Keenan said: “She presented at the premises because she needed to use the bathroom. That’s precisely what the help was.

“Her perception of matters, which was no doubt skewed by alcohol, was that they were wholly unsympathetic to her plight.”

Sheriff James Varney noted that McEwan did not appear as a first offender and that her record did her ‘no credit’.

He said: “I’m struggling to understand how someone telling you you can’t use the toilet means you have to assault them.”

McEwan was placed under supervision for 12 months as a direct alternative to custody and given a curfew for a period of 36 weeks.

During this period, she will be required to wear an electronic tag.