A WOMAN was attacked, punched and kicked when violence broke out during a coffee morning in Kelty.

The assailant, Carrie Ann Stewart, claimed she had been angered by the woman smoking cannabis at the door of a community centre where the coffee morning was taking place.

Stewart, 39, of Blair Street, Kelty, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

She admitted that on May 31, at Fife Council area office, Main Street, Kelty, she assaulted a female by lunging towards her, seized her by the hair, pulled her to the ground by the hair, kicked her on the body and punched her on the head.

She also admitted that she acted aggressively, shouted repeatedly at the woman and a male, making offensive remarks and threats of violence towards the man.

The court was told the incident occurred at around noon when a coffee morning was taking place at the offices.

Three people were standing outside smoking when Stewart appeared and began shouting at one of the women.

Stewart then lunged at the woman, grabbed her pony-tail, pulled her to the ground and kicked her.

When the victim got back up, she was punched on the face.

A male tried to intervene and Stewart called him a “beasty b******”.

Defence solicitor Aime Allan said: “Her position is that the woman was smoking cannabis outside the community centre.”

Sheriff Alison Michie said: “I know that’s the explanation given but, on any view, this was a gross over-reaction.”

The sheriff told Stewart: “This was an unprovoked assault and threats were made. The explanation, such as it is, I consider does not in fact provide any explanation whatsoever.”

She imposed a community payback order with 135 hours of unpaid work and four months of supervision.