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Nwicker60
09-Feb-15, 14:43
Accused "flung help back in faces" of social helpers

A WOMAN, who subjected social workers to such extreme abuse that a sheriff said he would be "embarrassed" to repeat, has narrowly escaped prison.
Sheriff Andrew Berry allowed an order for unpaid work being carried out by Carol Cowie to continue, although he commented that the prison sentence he had been tempted to consider, would have been "entirely justified"
The case, at Wick Sheriff Court, had been continued from Friday when Cowie, 46, interrupted proceedings from the dock while pleading not to be sent to prison. She appeared to be under the influence of drink and that was confirmed, yesterday, by her solictor, Neil Wilson, who tendered an apology on the accused's behalf.
Cowie, admitted breaching the community service order, and a record. She was said to have worked only one day out seven of unpaid work.
Solicitor Neil Wilson described Cowie's situation as "a sorry state of affairs", today. She had taken the first steps in addressing her drinking and appealed to the sheriff: "If you would allow her to continue the journey she would be very, very grateful".
Addressing Cowie, Sheriff Berry said that she had "thrown all the help back in the faces of the very people trying to you" and added: "If you are ever going to make peace with your famiy, you will have to address the issue of alcohol. The way you behave, when you are under the influence of it, is clearly horrible."
Sheriff Berry expressed sympathy for the social workers exposed to such bad behaviour and and continued: "It must be very unpleasant for them to look at their diary for a particular day and observe that Carol Cowie is due to come in and wonder will she be sober or drunk and how will that appointment go."
The sheriff instructed the accused to apologise to the social work workers and resume her appointments for unpaid work.
He warned that repetition of her bad behaviour would attract a prison sentence.
Cowie's progress will be monitored by the court in a series of reviews, the first of which will take place on February 20.