Teenage girl spared jail after three drink fuelled attacks in city centre

Aug 12 2008 by Les Stewart, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

A 16-YEAR-OLD Perth girl carried out a series of random, drink-fuelled attacks on three strangers during a night of violence in the city centre.

Louise Burden, of Castle View, could remember very little of what happened because of the amount of alcohol she had taken.

But she was spared a jail term by a sheriff who said she had “potential” – and was prepared to give her another chance.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that the incidents took place on the evening of May 26.

The first happened in High Street about 8.30pm, when Jennifer Waugh was walking in the city centre with a friend.

Depute fiscal Stuart Richardson said Burden grabbed her victim’s hair, forced her to the ground and punched and kicked her on the body before she managed to get away.

The second incident took place “very shortly afterwards” as 18-year-old Holly Martin was sitting on a bench in King Edward Street. This time the victim was struck on the head, grabbed by the hair, bitten on the hand and kicked on the body.

“When Miss Burden was finished with her she turned her attention to Miss Martin’s 19-year-old boyfriend Mark Higginbottom,” added Mr Richardson. He was kicked and punched on the body before the accused ran off.

Burden pled guilty to the three assaults and lashing out at officers as they tried to arrest her.

She also breached a curfew restricting her to her house.

Solicitor Billy Somerville said that the accused had spent a month in Cornton Vale, from July 7, and hated being there.

“She has been very depressed and upset and that has helped her understand behaviour of this kind will not be tolerated,” he added.

“There’s a problem with alcohol. She’s just turned 17 and has a serious problem of drinking to excess with her friends

“She has little or no recollection of the incidents.”

She had obtained a number of Standard Grades at school and was put at “medium risk” of reoffending.

Sheriff Margaret Gimblett noted that the accused had made a “really, really bad start” to her life.

She added: “You have a sheriff who always believes you can start again but that puts you in a big position of trust.

“I feel you have potential.”

Burden was put on probation with a condition that she undertakes alcohol counselling.

She was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid community work – a direct alternative to custody.