A WOMAN who started a punch-up in Cowdenbeath High Street, leaving her victim requiring surgery, will have to pay £1500 in compensation.

Denise Henderson Scott or King (45), of 19 Chaise Road, Bridge of Earn, assaulted Natasha Ann Gordon on 27th July last year after they bumped into each other in a pub.

King struck Ms Gordon on the body with a bag, punched her on the head, seized her by the hair and pulled her to the ground, pushed her head against the ground, sat astride her and repeatedly punched her on the head.

CCTV footage of the attack, which left Ms Gordon with severe injuries and a broken nose, was shown to Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday.

Fiscal depute, Louise Ward, said both women were known to each other, and that Ms Gordon and a friend were sitting at a table at a pub in the High Street when they saw King enter through the main door.

King was alone at the time and Ms Gordon saw her approach, and there was a verbal exchange.

Ms Ward continued, “Around 11.45pm the complainer and her friend left the pub and walked along the High Street in Cowdenbeath.

“The accused was standing in the street with a group of unknown persons.

“The complainer admitted she was intoxicated at this time.

“It would appear that the complainer and the accused became involved in a verbal argument, with a large amount of pointing and gesturing towards each other.

“The accused then walked approximately 10 metres forwards towards the complainer, grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground and sat on top of the complainer, who remained prone on the ground.

“She punched her on the face a number of times prior to her being restrained by others.” Ms Gordon, and her friend, returned to her home and reported the incident to the police.

Officers who attended saw “obvious injuries” to the bridge of Ms Gordon’s nose, which appeared to be deeply cut and bleeding, and an ambulance was called.

Ms Gordon attended A&E at Victoria Hospital the next day and was found to have a nasal fracture.

She was assessed again on 8th August and found to have a broken nose, and an operation was performed to manipulate her nasal bones.

Solicitor, Martin McGuire, said King, who pleaded guilty, had been living in Cowdenbeath at the time and had been in a relationship with Ms Gordon’s ex-partner.

He said King had not been aware that Ms Gordon was at the pub and there had been a “brief exchange of words”.

A similar exchange later in the street “escalated” and “there was a brief scuffle”, with “verbal abuse back and forth”.

King lost her temper and took hold of Ms Gordon, who fell to the ground.

Mr McGuire said King – who has previous convictions – had brought the relationship with Ms Gordon’s ex-partner to an end, and there had been no further incidents with Ms Gordon.

King escaped jail as Sheriff Craig McSherry handed down a £1500 compensation order and a four-month restriction of liberty order.

Sheriff McSherry warned, “I’ve certainly been of a mind to consider a custodial sentence here considering the nature of your assault and the injuries it caused.”