An Auchinleck woman threw a knife at an 11-year-old boy and injured his shoulder after he used the blade to chop a sausage.

Dawn Moncrieff admitted assaulting the child while with a property in Drongan on October 16 last year after making violent threats to throw the knife at him.

The 42-year-old returned to Ayr Sheriff Court last week for breaching her community payback order, having avoided custody for injuring the child.

The Procurator Fiscal depute said: “The accused was in the address, with the witnesses who were children.

“The witness went into the kitchen to get a sausage and a knife and took it to the living room.

“The accused said if he did not pick it [the knife] up she would fling it at him.

"She then threw the knife, striking his left shoulder.

“The other witness was in her bedroom and he came in crying.”

The court heard the father of the boy attended the property after being sent a picture message of the injury, with the accused still consuming alcohol.

Defence solicitor Tony Currie explained his client had underlying issues with alcohol and there had been "extensive social work involvement" since the incident.

He said: “It was a significant episode which caused significant concern at the time."

Sheriff Anthony McGlennan said: “You hardly need me to say how serious charge one is. It’s ordinarily the type of behaviour that could attract a prison sentence.”

“I will reimpose the community payback order with 12 months of supervision.

“You will also complete 75 hours of unpaid work.”