A woman was attacked in a Perthshire village when a long-simmer feud reached boiling point, a court has heard.
Ashley Guilar was punched in the face as she walked through Stanley earlier this summer.
Her attacker Kelly McKay confronted her and accused her of spreading malicious gossip.
McKay believed that Guilar, 28, had made allegations about her to benefits agents at the Department of Work and Pensions.
During the stand-off, McKay punched Ms Guilar in the face, leaving her with a burst lip.
On Thursday, 40-year-old McKay, of Charlotte Street, Stanley, appeared at Perth Sheriff Court and admitted the assault on August 19, She was fined £450.
Fiscal depute Carol White said the row happened just before 1pm while Ms Guilar was walking alone.
“There is a history between the two women,” she said. “After Ms Guilar was punched, an elderly lady intervened. Ms Guilar did not need medical attention.
Sheriff William Wood told McKay: “The court has to take a dim view of anyone who loses their temper in this way.
“It is perhaps only fortunate that the victim only received a burst lip. It could have been much worse.”
He added: “When you feel the urge to behave in this way you need to step out, instead of stepping forward.”
The court heard that mother-of-one McKay lashed out in rage because she thought Ms Guilar was becoming “abrasive and aggressive”.
She was told someone had tipped-off benefits agency officers about her and had reached the conclusion it could only have been Ms Guilar.