A WOMAN kicked her neighbour down a flight of stairs after he returned her ill dog.

Sarah Doonan, 46, struck out at John Thomson in their common close in Glasgow's Shawlands on October 25, 2022.

Mr Thomson - who has since died - walked Doonan's dog to a pub and later came home drunk.

Former finance worker Doonan was enraged after discovering that her dog had become unwell.

She kicked Mr Thomson once which caused him to hit a window and fall down the steps.

Doonan - who has since put her Glasgow University studies on hold - pleaded guilty today to assaulting Mr Thomson to his injury.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Mr Thomson returned home from the pub at 11pm.

Mr Thomson walked up the stairs in the shared landing and said hello to Doonan.

Prosecutor Ryan Diamond said: "Doonan lunged towards him and kicked him in the throat which caused him to fall back against a window.

"Thereafter, he fell down a flight of stairs.

"The victim sustained an injury to his head mainly a cut to his crown in his hair."

Police attended and found Mr Thomson injured.

Doonan meantime shouted to officers: "You are looking for me, I kicked my neighbour down the stairs."

Doonan was taken into custody where she said in reply to her charge: "I'm sorry about that."

Bronwyn Moore, defending, told the court that her client had a good relationship with her neighbour when he was sober.

The lawyer stated that she would cook him meals and he would walk her dog when he was not intoxicated.

Sheriff Allan McKay asked: "He walked the dog to the pub and the dog was unwell and in distress?"

Miss Moore replied: "Yes. She was unhappy with this and he in turn responded to her with further abuse.

"She advises that he later on in the night consumed alcohol and she met Mr Thomson on the stairs and that's when it took place."

Sheriff McKay deferred conviction until February for Doonan to be of good behaviour while continuing her bail.

He said: "I would be looking at an absolute discharge - it is rare I would think that way.

"These circumstances might be regarded as exceptional, you have a person at middle age without previous convictions.

"You coped with a man who might be a difficult neighbour very well but lost it on this occasion which would appear to be over a short period of time."