THE owner of a salon and beauty academy in Saltcoats has been found guilty of assaulting a child.

Ardrossan woman Melissa Farrell was found guilty of three charges following a two-day trial at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.

The 35-year-old had denied the charges since making her first appearance in the dock in February.

She was found guilty by Sheriff Nicola Patrick of three charges - all relating to her behaviour towards the same child between September 1, 2019 and April 14, 2022.

The victim was aged 12-15 when the offences took place at an address in the Three Towns.

Farrell was convicted on one charge of assaulting the child by grabbing hold of them, spitting on them, throwing a cup and chair at them, dragging them by the hair and striking them on the head.

She also kicked the child's body, punched them on the head and body, pulled them to the floor and removed their telephone from their grasp.

The business owner was also found guilty of shouting, swearing and uttering offensive remarks towards the same child.

Sheriff Patrick also convicted Farrell of a third charge of maliciously smashing the same child's telephone.

 

The child gave evidence in a closed court on the first day of the trial, with Farrell's solicitor, Tony Bone, stating that the victim was "reneging" on much of their evidence.

Two male witnesses both gave evidence for the prosecution.

Under cross-examination by Mr Bone, both men denied that they had been looking to "enact revenge" on Farrell by encouraging the victim to speak to police.

Farrell, giving evidence in her own defence, told the court nothing had happened, that the victim had "made it all up" and that "none of that is true".

Farrell said she had no knowledge of any of the incidents described by the victim and that she was not aware of any injuries sustained until the trial began.

The court had earlier been shown an image from the Snapchat social media platform allegedly showing an injury to the child's face - with the injury said to be in keeping with a ring worn by the accused.

Farrell said she believed the two male witnesses had a "vendetta" against her which motivated them to give evidence for the prosecution.

 

 

In his closing remarks Mr Bone spoke about what he described as the "desperation" of the two men to "damage the accused".

He added that the victim often had trouble recalling exact details of events.

But the fiscal depute said the child would not have given the level of detail described in their evidence if they had made it up - and said Farrell's evidence was "quite far fetched".

Finding Farrell guilty of all three charges, Sheriff Patrick said the victim "gave evidence in a manner that was reliable and credible", and that the child "did not look to overstate" their recollection of events - which, she said, was "not indicative of something completely fabricated".

She added: "I reject the suggestion that [another witness] came to the court with some sort of vendetta.

"If evidence gives any sort of reasonable doubt you are entitles to to that but it does not.

"I reject your account that this is all made up."

Sentence was deferred until next month for background reports, and Farrell was released on bail.