Four women from Muirkirk have been cleared of charges of assault over an incident in the village more than a year ago.

Shelby Park, 29, Hayley McLaren, 24, Sandie Shaw, 22 and 27-year-old Demi McLaren had been accused of various offences in connection with an incident in which two women were allegedly assaulted.

All four denied the charges – which were laid against them after an report of a disturbance in the village’s Henderson Drive on September 1, 2022.

Hayley McLaren was found not guilty of assaulting a woman by engaging in a struggle with her, seizing her and pushing and pulling her.

She was also cleared of assaulting a second woman, aged 68, having been accused of pushing her on the ground to her injury. 

The Crown had alleged that Ms McLaren then scratched the woman on the head with her fingernails, repeatedly punched her on the head and body, and forced her to the ground to her injury.

Ms Park was cleared of allegations that she assaulted the 68-year-old to her injury by pushing her to the ground, causing her to strike her arm on a fence.

Ms Park was also found not guilty on a charge of assaulting the other woman by kicking her on the head while she was on the ground and struggling with her.

The pair were also acquitted on a further charge of behaving in a threatening or abusive manner by shouting, swearing and adopting an aggressive demeanour.

Demi McLaren, of Pagan Walk, and Ms Shaw, of Garpel Drive, were also found not guilty on the same charge.

Ms Park and Hayley McLaren were convicted of an amended charge of engaging in a struggle with the first woman while shouting and swearing, but were admonished.

Ms Shaw and Hayley McLaren were cleared of a final charge of threatening behaviour.