A woman has been warned she faces the prospect of a jail sentence for spitting in the face of a security guard at the Borders General Hospital at Melrose during a drunken disturbance early on Sunday morning.
Cassie Robotham appeared from custody at Jedburgh Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to assault carried out during the early hours of Sunday morning.
The 22-year-old, of Blair Avenue in Jedburgh, was abusive and made threats towards the security officer while he was trying to calm her down.
Robotham spat again at the male guard just as police officers were arriving at the accident-and-emergency department to arrest her.
Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said she was taken there at 2.10am after suffering a minor head injury due to drunkenness.
Mr Fraser said: “She was shouting and swearing on arrival and was put in a treatment room.
“The security guard remained on the scene because he thought she would become unruly again.
“This proved to be the case, and she said to the guard ‘f*** off. I’m going to break your nose off.’
“She was demanding medication and began to swear and kick a chair.
“She then spat in the face of the guard and some of it landed on the shoulder of a porter who had come to help, and she was eventually put to the ground.
“The accused continued to be abusive, saying ‘I will remember your face’ and telling him to f*** off.
“As she was leaving, she spat again at the guard, and this was seen by police officers coming in the door to deal with it.
“She was arrested and continued to be agitated.
“Her head injury was checked out, and she was deemed fit to be released into police custody.”
Defence lawyer Mat Patrick said Robotham was aware of the serious approach courts take towards offences in hospitals.
Sheriff Peter Paterson called for background reports to be prepared and released Robotham on bail, but he warned her that custody was uppermost in his mind when the case recalls on July 9.
Her bail conditions order her to stay in her home between the hours of 7pm and 7am, have no contact with a named male and to report once a week to Jedburgh police station.