Jockey severely injured soldier

Riding admitted carrying out the glass attack last year

A promising female jockey has admitted carrying out a glass attack on a soldier outside a pub in the Borders.

Jenny Riding, 24, of Allars Crescent, Hawick, struck Stewart McEwan three times in the face with the glass after he swore and called her a "smackhead".

She admitted a charge of assault to severe injury outside the Red Lion pub in Kelso on 7 July last year.

Jedburgh Sheriff Court was told her career as a national hunt jockey was in the balance. Sentence was deferred.

David Taylor, representing Riding, told Sheriff Ian Duguid that her future in the sport was in doubt.

"She is a jockey - which is not a joke given her surname," he said.

"However, her future employment is pending the outcome of this case."

The accused had a glass in her hand which was either a tall spirit glass or a pint glass and she hit Mr McEwan on the face with the glass Juliet Petrusev, prosecuting

The court was told Riding had a previous conviction from 2002 when she assaulted Mr McEwan's sister by cutting her hair.

Juliet Petrusev, prosecuting, said that since then there had always been animosity between Riding and the McEwan family.

She said that on the evening of the attack Mr McEwan had gone outside the pub and Riding shouted at him and told him he was a "dead man".

He had gone back inside but when he went out for a cigarette later she had started shouting and insulting him again.

"Mr McEwan swore back at her and shouted at her she was a smackhead," said Ms Petrusev.

"The accused had a glass in her hand which was either a tall spirit glass or a pint glass and she hit Mr McEwan on the face with the glass.

"He recoiled back and she struck him a further two times to the left hand side of the face."

Alcohol consumed

The court heard that with the last strike the glass had broken, cutting Mr McEwan, and he had fallen to the ground.

He required six stitches to a wound behind his left ear.

David Taylor, defending, said Riding had tried to apologise over the incident involving Mr McEwan's sister but "those efforts had been rebuffed".

He pointed out both parties had been out drinking for some time and a significant amount of alcohol had been taken and both had been abusive.

Riding's not guilty plea to a second charge of recklessly throwing a glass into the Red Lion and injuring a man was accepted by the Crown.

Sentence was deferred until 26 June and bail continued.