Woman, 23, found guilty after denying slashing her partner

A 23-year-old Dingwall woman who was accused of slashing her partner with a knife was found unanimously guilty of the offence at Inverness Sheriff Court yesterday.

Despite 25-year-old victim James Marshall blaming unknown attackers and not his girlfriend, Tanya Stewart, the jury was unconvinced.

Sheriff Margaret Neilson deferred sentence until May 5 for a background report on Stewart and allowed her bail to continue.

Stewart, of Millbank Road, had denied assaulting Mr Marshall to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement. After the three day trial, the jury deleted reference to the scarring in their verdict and convicted her of assault to severe injury.

The court heard the couple had fought on May 27, last year and Marshall had punched his partner. They went into the house where a neighbour heard Stewart shout: “I am going to stab you” and Mr Marshall reply: “Just do it.”

Her emerged from the house and met friends in the street. He was bare-chested and covered in blood. He was holding his tee-shirt to his injured nose.

Mr Marshall gave several different versions of how he sustained the cut on his nose which required four stitches. None implicated his partner.