Drunken woman is placed on probation

Sep 24 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

A DRUNK who threatened to batter a child and her own mother if she got arrested has been placed on probation.

Mary Zurinskas had only been out of prison for three days when she was taken into custody for a breach of the peace.

Fiscal depute Lisa McCloy told Livingston Sheriff Court that the accused had gone to visit her mother on August 19.

Ms McCloy added: “The accused became abusive towards her mother, shouting and swearing at her. She was asked to leave but the behaviour continued.”

A child in the house then asked Zurinskas to shut up and leave but she refused and they called the police.

Police arrived at 4.40pm and her mother told them she would be happy if she just left her property in Stoneyburn.

As she was leaving the house she said “If you get me lifted I will kick **** out of you” to her mother and then Zurinskas turned to the child and told them “If you get me the jail I am going to batter you”.

The 37-year-old continued to shout and swear as police arrested her for breach of the peace. Zurinskas then struggled with the police officers and kicked a female constable on the stomach.

The officer suffered soreness to the ribs and stomach area.

Zurinskas was taken to Livingston Police Station where she spat at another female officer after they asked her to remove her hair band.

Last week at the sheriff court Zurinskas, whose address was given as Ramsay Crescent, Bathgate pled guilty to breach of the peace and assaulting the two police officers.

Her solicitor, Laura Russell, told the court her client regretted how she behaved to both the police and her family.

Ms Russell added: “The difficulty she has is a significant problem with alcohol and it is because of this abuse of alcohol that she has behave this way.

“She is not seeking to mitigate her behaviour which she admits was very wrong.

“She received her first custodial sentence at 21 in 1993 and since then she has been in and out of prison quite regularly.

“She has expressed frustration at this.

“She came into contact with heroin at 26 and has struggled to deal with it since.

“She now describes herself as drug free but she recognises now she has very significant problem with alcohol.

“It is my submission that the cycle she is in of experiencing custody and release is not helping her.”

Placing Zurinskas on probation for one year Sheriff Donald Muirhead said he was giving her another chance to show she could behave.

Sheriff Muirhead added: “You have been on remand for some time and obviously I have dealt with you on a considerable amount of time before.

“You have a long history of offending but it may be worth trying you on probation instead of sending you back to Cornton Vale.

“We all know your history so as soon as you do not turn up to social work appointments or abuse them you will be back here in front of me.”