Breached order again

Drink prevented accused keeping appointments

A WOMAN, who subjected social workers to such extreme abuse that a sheriff said he would be too embarrassed to quote, has again breached a community service order.
Carol Cowie 46, was previously given a chance, in early February, by Sheriff Andrew Berry who warned her that she was "teetering on the edge of a prison sentence". She appeared from custody and admitted the latest breach by failing to turn up for appointments having been under the influence of drink.
Her solicitor, Fiona MacDonald, said that Cowie had handed herself in to police. The accused remained "very much committed" to completing the remaining hours of her unpaid work and appearled to the sheriff to allow the order to continue.
But Sheriff Berry remanded Cowie, pending a background report, and told her: "The history of this matter is very poor, with wholly inappropriate behaviour at an early stage and, more recently, failing to co-operate with the requirements of the order."
Wick Sheriff Court heard that Cowie, who lives in Wick, had worked only one day out of seven when she previously breached the order. The sheriff commented, then, on her "unacceptable behaviour toward social workers", saying she had "thrown all the assistance back in the faces of the very people trying to help her".
The sheriff streesed then that it was imperative that the accused addressed her alcohol addiction if she was ever going to make peace with her family.
Sheriff Berry today called for a background report and will consider it before sentencing Cowie on April 16.