Woman jailed for champagne glass assault in Inverness
A businesswoman who hit another woman with a champagne glass during violence at a charity event has been jailed for 18 months.
Deborah Morren, 54, wept and pleaded with the sheriff as security staff escorted her to the cells after being sentenced at Inverness Sheriff Court.
Gail Macdonald had to have glass shards removed from her upper lip following the assault at an Inverness hotel.
She also required dental work and stitches.
Morren, of Muir of Ord, had earlier admitted assaulting Mrs Macdonald to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that before the assault there had been scuffles involving the women's husbands.
Other guests intervened, the court heard.
The charity event involved was a fund-raiser for the Highland Hospice at Inverness' Drumossie Hotel on 30 October last year.
Defence solicitor advocate Shahid Latif asked Sheriff Margaret Neilson to sentence Morren to unpaid work in the community.
He told the court: "This was unpremeditated, a momentary loss of control and out of character.
"She has also shown appropriate remorse, contrition and regret and is at the lowest risk of re-offending."
But the sheriff told Morren: "I accept this was out of character.
"However, the offence is of such gravity, only a custodial sentence is appropriate."