Jealous Bo'ness bride fined for breaking best friend's tooth

A jealous bride broke her best friend's tooth in a bust-up over her new husband, a court heard.
Stevenson appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court.Stevenson appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court.
Stevenson appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court.

Audrey Stevenson grabbed Veronica Bannon by the hair and smashed her face off a door when she caught her ‘making a romantic move’ on her man at the wedding reception.

As a result, Stevenson and her husband Scott Allan were arrested and spent their wedding night in the cells.

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They also missed their honeymoon flight to Mexico on the Sunday despite having paid in advance for a second ceremony in the sun.

Today (Thursday) shamefaced Stevenson appeared in the dock at Livingston Sheriff Court and admitted being “acutely embarrassed” about the clash at The Star and Garter Hotel in Linlithgow on July 28 last year.

The council worker, from Bo’ness, was fined £450 and ordered to pay her former best friend £400 compensation for assault. She was allowed to pay the penalty by monthly instalments of £100.

Katrine Craig, prosecuting, said the wedding reception had been running for nearly seven hours when Stevenson went into the foyer at 1am and saw her new husband speaking to her best friend.

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She said: “The accused was of the view that her friend was what’s described as ‘making a romantic move’ on her husband and engaged in an argument with her.

“She then seized the complainer by the hair and pushed her in the direction of a door which caused the complainer to strike her head off the door.

“The police were made aware of an ongoing incident at the hotel and turned up and spoke to the complainer.

“She at this time indicated that she’d been assaulted and she named the bride as being responsible.

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“The officers noted that she was missing a front tooth, which she was holding in her hand at the time, and she also had minor swelling to her lips and her nose.

“The officers thereafter attended at the home address of the accused and she was detained.”

She added that Miss Bannon had emailed the Crown Office that morning asking if a non harassment order could be granted by the court.

Darryl Lovie, defending, said the assault was completely out of character for Stevenson, who had no previous convictions.

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He said: “It’s really an offence committed in the heat of the moment in an emotionally charged situation and in a very specific context against a very unusual set of circumstances.”

He said he didn’t want to give any further details about the situation in which his client had found her husband and her friend to save her any further embarrassment.

He added: “This might be a reaction which is understandable but not excusable. The couple had been married that morning and they were due to fly out to Mexico the following day.

“At 3.30 on the Saturday morning my client was detained and held in custody until the Monday afternoon, an experience she never wishes to repeat.”

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He said Stevenson’s professional reputation had been “tarnished” and she risked of dismissal under disciplinary proceedings.

Passing sentence, Sheriff John Cook told Stevenson: “This was fairly unacceptable behaviour but you have no previous experience of such behaviour known to the court, no previous convictions and you’ve been of previous good character.

“You have expressed your regret and remorse for your actions on that particular day so the court can deal with this by way of a financial penalty.”

As she left court, Stevenson declined to comment on her ruined wedding day.