A woman who “thrust” a pet ferret at her ex-boyfriend after walking into his home uninvited in the middle of the night has been admonished by the court.
Toni Ramsden went around to her former partner’s home in Turriff, clutching a five-month-old ferret and started shouting.
The now separated couple had bred ferrets as a hobby during their five-month relationship and Ramsden was returning the last one, Banff Sheriff Court was told.
The 44-year-old found her ex sitting in the living room with his new girlfriend at the St Congans Crescent home at 1.30am on May 28 last year.
But when the man heard the animal “making a noise” he stood up and the ferret – who was not named – was “thrust” at him.
Toni Ramsden ‘lunged towards’ ex
Fiscal depute Ellen Barr previously told the court that Ramsden was “rambling incoherently” when she came uninvited into the house carrying the pet.
“The complainer heard the animal making a noise and was concerned for its safety,” she said. “He walked towards the accused and asked her to hand over the animal but she refused and continued shouting.
“He tried to take the ferret from the accused’s hand and she lunged towards him and scratched him on the neck.”
The man suffered scratches to his neck but didn’t require treatment and his new girlfriend rang the police.
‘Inopportune time of day to go round’
She later pled guilty to an assault to injury charge.
At the case’s first calling defence agent Debbie Wilson told the court that her client now accepted it was an “inopportune time of day to go around” and claimed that Ramsden had been frightened when the 6ft 7in man got off the sofa and stepped towards her.
‘Daft idea’
Sheriff Robert McDonald previously told Ramsden that it had been a “daft idea” to try to sort out grievances with an ex at 1.30am and told her if she was of good behaviour for six months he would admonish her.
This week Ramsden, of Ardinn Road, Turriff, reappeared in the dock where she breathed a sigh of relief as the sheriff followed through on that promise but handed her a three-year non-harassment order to keep away from her ex.
Her defence agent Stuart Beveridge confirmed to the court: “It was basically an argument over a ferret which resulted in a scratch to the neck.
“She has been of good behaviour since and there has been no further contact between the pair.”
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