Woman said she’d kill her neighbours

Jun 26 2008

A HAMILTON woman was this week put on 15 months’ probation for threatening to kill near neighbours.

Katherine Curwood (37), of Albert Terrace pleaded guilty to a charge of conducting herself in a disorderly manner, shouting, swearing and uttering threats of violence.

She threatened to petrol bomb a house in Albert Street and placed Darren Kusz, Janine Rowe and Tammy Irvine in a state of fear and alarm.

However, Curwood’s not guilty plea to carrying a hammer in a public place was accepted by the Crown.

Co-accused Theresa Hamilton (27), also of Albert Terrace, pleaded not guilty to a charge of carrying a knife in a public place and the breach of the peace charge, and these were accepted by the Crown.

Fiscal depute Jacqui Spiers told the court that Darren Kusz, Janine Rowe and Tammy Irvine were on a balcony at their Albert Street home when they heard the accused shouting.

Curwood was head to say: ‘Who the f*** do you think you are? You are nothing but a junkie b******. I’m going to slit your throat, I’m going to kill you. I’m going to petrol bomb your house.’

Ms Spiers told the court that the complainers were very distressed by the tirade.

Curwood’s lawyer Charles Ferguson told Sheriff Thomas Welsh that his client believed that one of the people in the house had attacked one of her daughters.

He also explained that one of Curwood’s daughters had also advised her mother that brake fluid had been poured over her daughter’s car.

Curwood went outside to look at the vehicle and she noticed the complainers standing in a balcony above laughing and joking.

She then heard someone shouting ‘look what’s happened to you’ and lost her temper.

Curwood, added the solicitor advocate, appreciated that the shouting was distressing.

Mr Ferguson also stressed that the accused had no intention of carrying out any of the threats.