A bin man in Aberdeen was dragged from the cab of his lorry and attacked in the street as shocked colleagues looked on.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told Julie Chalmers repeatedly kicked the man in the head and body at a car park in Bucksburn’s Sclattie Park after she lay in wait for his bin lorry to pass.
The 46-year old, who claimed the motivation for the assault was a matter of “principle” as her victim had not repaid cash she had loaned him, also punched him on the head as he tried to get back into his vehicle.
Fiscal depute Dylan Middleton told the court how Chalmers had waited for the bin lorry to arrive at Sclattie Park before approaching the van and grabbing the man by the legs and dragging him free of the cab onto the ground.
He said: “The accused thereafter kicked him to the body and the head several times.
“He managed to get back to his feet and as he attempted to get back into his cab he was punched on the head.”
A co-worker called the police and Chalmers was later traced to her home address then arrested.
Chalmers’ solicitor, John Ferrie, said his client – a part-time fish processor – had assaulted the man because “he refused to pay up”.
He added: “The background to this was money. The complainer owed money to the accused and could not pay his debt to her.
“It wasn’t a lot of money, but I think it was the principle of borrowing money and not paying it back.
“And when she saw the bin lorry on the street that day emptying her bins she got after the bin lorry and pulled him from it.”
Sheriff Stewart said: “Had this matter proceeded to trial I would have imposed a fine in the area of £300.
“But as it has not I will reduce it and impose a fine of £200.”
