A woman carried out a sustained attack on her partner while in a taxi by punching him up to 30 times and attempting to bite him, a court has heard.
Mum-of-one Lorraine McAra fell out with her boyfriend for “spending too much time with his friends” as the two made their way home in a cab following a night out in the Hay Loft pub in Aberdeen.
The 34-year-old reigned down blows and kicks on her partner while trying to bite him “all over his body”.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard that the taxi driver was so shocked by the incident he called the police to report McAra.
She pleaded guilty to one charge of assault by repeatedly punching and kicking her boyfriend and attempting to bite him on January 29 this year.
Accused chased down taxi to continue assault
Fiscal depute Emma Petersen told the court that the couple had called a taxi at around 8pm as McAra wanted to return home after being in the pub for several hours.
She said: “Whilst in the taxi the accused the complainer of spending too much time with his friends.
“The complainer asked the accused to desist, saying that he didn’t want to argue and wished to return home.
“Without warning the accused began punching, kicking and attempting to bite the complainer all over his body.
“In an attempt to defend himself the complainer put his hands over his head.”
The taxi driver, who witnessed the sustained attack, said he saw McAra punch her partner about 20 to 30 times.
He told her to stop of he would contact the police and informed her he had CCTV in the back of the car.
Ms Petersen added: “The accused then began shouting and swearing at the complainer before punching him to the head and body with both hands.”
McAra then got out of the taxi but jumped back into the vehicle as the taxi driver pulled away and punched her partner again.
She finally left the scene on foot and the taxi driver called the police.
‘She is completely mortified’
Defence agent Charlie Benzies told the court that McAra was “completely mortified” by her behaviour that night and described it as “a one-off for” his client.
He added: “She can’t remember very much about the incident as she’d had far too much to drink.
“I also ask that she receives credit as she pleaded guilty to this at the first opportunity.”
Sheriff Robert McDonald told her: “This is really terrible behaviour.
“You were told to stop and if you had stopped that might have been the end of it, but then you got back in the taxi and started again.
“I do hope that we never see you in the court again.”
Sheriff McDonald sentenced McAra, of Croft Terrace, Aberdeen, to a one-year community payback order and ordered her to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen, as well as the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group HERE.
