By Graham Brown

AN ANGUS teenager who burst into the home of a former boyfriend in the early hours and bloodied his nose before spitting at him was yesterday criticised as an example of the falling standards of behaviour among today’s young women.

Sheriff Kevin Veal at Forfar said the appearance of even one woman a month in the dock was once unusual in his legal career.

But incidents such as that involving Jade Whammond (17), from Kirriemuir, were now common, and the sheriff said they were an indication that society had “regressed something awful.”

First-time offender Whammond was described as a teenager who lived an otherwise “faultless” life, but the sheriff expressed disgust at the “particularly demeaning” act of spitting in her former partner’s face.

Student Whammond, of Marywell Brae, appeared for sentence having previously admitted conducting herself in a disorderly manner in Reform Street, Kirriemuir, on June 17, entering a house by force and repeatedly shouting and swearing, defacing a wall and committing a breach of the peace.

She also pleaded guilty to assaulting a man by striking him on the head and spitting on his face on the same date.

Depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy said Whammond and the victim had been in a relationship, but some months earlier the complainer had become involved with someone else.

Around 12.30pm on the date of the offence the complainer met the accused in the street and Whammond became agitated and began to shout and swear.

The witness walked away and entered a local nightclub, the court heard.

The fiscal said, “Around 2.30am both the complainer and another girl went to his flat and the accused came to the door, upturned furniture and wrote on the wall.

“Essentially I think she was aggrieved at the complainer being in a relationship with another individual.

“She then strikes him on the face, causing his nose to bleed and spits in his face—very unpleasant.”

Whammond told police she had not been drinking, but admitted she was annoyed the complainer was in another relationship and felt he was cheating on her.

Defence agent Bob Bruce said his client had never been in trouble before.

He said, “Apart from this incident she is a deferential young girl and it is a situation where she has unfortunately lost the plot.

“I doubt you will ever see her in a court of law again.”

He added, “This has been a salutory lesson to her.

“She is well aware of where she is today and treats the court with the respect it deserves.”

Sheriff Veal said, “This sort of behaviour is entirely unacceptable.

“Thirty years ago if we saw a female in the dock once a month it was unusual.

“Things really have regressed something awful—she is barely 17.”

He added, “What concerns me is that she went to his house uninvited and spitting is a particularly demeaning act, I have to say.”

Sheriff Veal placed Whammond on probation for 15 months, adding, “Whether she makes the most of that is very much within her own gift.”