A baby shower attended by feuding families in Fife ended in violence.
There was hostility between the relatives of the couple having the baby as light-hearted games such as “Baby Bingo” were ruined by offensive comments fired back and forward across the hall, Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard.
The bad feeling between the families escalated to violence outside the hall in Lochore.
The mum and sister of the mother-to-be landed ended up in the dock on assault charges.
Sarah Wilson, 45, of Kirkcaldy, admitted punching the other mum after grabbing her hair.
Chardonnay Wilson, 20, also from Kirkcaldy, was found guilty of assaulting another woman.
‘Would Mummy Rather’
Chardonnay Wilson told the court the baby shower for her sister Chantelle, had started at 1pm.
She said the two families were sitting at different tables and “at first it was fine”.
However, bad feeling began to escalate during a game called “Would Mummy Rather”.
She explained there was a question, “would mummy rather put a bottle on for the baby or open a bottle of wine”.
She said someone from the father-to-be’s family shouted out the new mum would open a bottle of wine.
“Chantelle got upset and everything started to escalate from there,” she said.
She described how her mum Sarah and the other mother were “arguing back and forward”.
“My mum told her they could speak any other day but not to spoil the occasion,” she said.
‘Baby Bingo’
The court was told there was more arguing during a game of “Baby Bingo” and allegations about sexual comments being heard.
There were then claims about an abusive comment, “F***ing fools”, aimed at the Wilsons, being written on a paper plate.
Wilson said she had also written a good wishes message in the baby book and someone had ripped it out.
Gino Gambale, solicitor for Chardonnay Wilson, asked for his client to be given an absolute discharge, as a conviction would end her three-year career as a carer.
Sheriff Susan Duff said it would “not be proportionate” to impose a sentence which would end a young person’s career and agreed to the defence request, meaning the offence will not go on Wilson’s record.
Sarah Wilson will be sentenced on June 4 after the sheriff called for reports.
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