Woman guilty of vandalism after internet date goes wrong
A WOMAN hurled a concrete statue through her online date's car windscreen when an internet rendezvous turned to disaster, a court heard today.
A WOMAN hurled a concrete statue through her online date's car windscreen when an internet rendezvous turned to disaster, a court heard today.
Louise Black met the unnamed man on dating site Plenty of Fish before arranging to meet him on New Years Eve.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told the pair first met at B&Q in Dunfermline and "got on very well" initially, with the man inviting Black back to his home on the Balcarres Estate near Colinsburgh, Fife.
He offered Black a drink - prompting her to "quickly consume quite a large amount".
Black today told the court she had thrown the statue after becoming enraged when the man refused to drive her home or call her a taxi.
Fiscal depute Alan Kempton told Dundee Sheriff Court: "At that point she began speaking about family troubles and became emotional.
"She carried on in the same manner for the remainder of the evening.
"The complainer describes her as ranting and raving.
"Around 10.30pm the accused phoned her mother on her mobile phone and continude on the same vein about family troubles before throwing the phone to the floor.
"The man thought it was in her best interests that she went to bed.
"She went to sleep and awoke around 30 minutes later and immediately started ranting and raving again.
"She demanded that the man drive her to a friend's house in Leven.
"He told her he had been drinking and said no.
"She then left and went outside.
"Once outside she began ranting and raving and picked up a concrete ornament and threw it at his Vauxhall Corsa car.
"It hit the passenger window, breaking it and causing damage to the bodywork to the value of around £1000.
"Police found her wandering down the road a short time later.
"She was described as drunk and agitated."
Black, 41, of Ben Lomond View, Oakley, Fife, pleaded guilty on summary complaint to charges of behaving in threatening and abusive manner and vandalism.
Representing herself in court, Black said she had been the victim of a "frightening experience" that evening.
She said: "I went to his house and he was constantly filling my glass.
"I was drinking it.
"He only had one Asda branded beer himself.
"We were talking about my family and I got upset.
"I wanted to leave but he wouldn't call me a taxi and he wouldn't take me to Leven.
"I fell asleep on the sofa.
"I woke up in bed - fully clothed - and went downstairs. It was night and I didn't have a clue where I was.
"I left the house and walked to the main road then realised I hadn't taken my phone, my iPad or my bag.
"I went back and knocked on the door and he told me to f*** off.
"I lost the plot and threw the statue then waited by the road for the police to arrive."
Sheriff Lorna Drummond QC deferred sentence until next month for social work background reports.
She said: "This is a serious matter and a lot of damage was caused."