A north-east mum broke down in tears yesterday after she was cleared of assaulting two teenage boys.
Claire Morrison had been on trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court accused of grabbing one secondary school pupil by the throat and kicking another on the body.
The youngsters claimed the 43-year-old attacked them at Market Square in Oldmeldrum.
Morrison had previously admitted shouting at a group of youths as well as spraying two of the children with her can of Pepsi.
But she denied there had been any physical assault.
Morrison told the court that she and her family had been continually harassed by the youngsters over the last year and that on the day of the alleged incidents she had “had enough”.
She said she had been on her way home from picking up a takeaway on April 17 when the youths started to hurl abuse at her.
She said at first she tried to ignore the comments, but then they became more abusive.
Morrison told the court that she “saw red” and approached the gang to confront them about their behaviour.
The court previously heard that police had been called earlier that evening as the boys were being rowdy and kicking a football at windows and cars.
Morrison said that when she approached them the abuse got worse and she retaliated by shouting back at them.
She said she then opened a can of juice and sprayed it at the boy who was attacking her verbally.
Morrison, of 27 Rosebank, Oldmeldrum, accepted another teenager may have been sprayed with the fizzy drink in the process.
The court heard that police had documented dozens of incidents which reported to them regarding the youths abusing Morrison’s family.
The mum-of two said the incidents had left her scared to leave her home of 20 years.
Sheriff Alison Stirling took only a few minutes to find Morrison not guilty of the charges against her and admonished her on the ones she had previously admitted.
She said she did not find the youths’ evidence believable.
Last night a tearful Morrison said she was relieved the case was over, but claimed the whole village was suffering at the hands of youths.
She said: “It is becoming unbearable. It is not just our family which has been affected. The community council and the police are now involved to try to do something about it as they are affecting most of the village.”