A HADDINGTON woman attempted to strike a shopkeeper with an axe during a shocking incident at a store in the town.

Natalie Carmichael assaulted Zain Naeem by attempting to hit him with the bladed weapon at the Nungate Mini Market, on the town’s Kirk View, earlier this year. Carmichael, 40, also shouted, swore, acted aggressively and uttered threats of violence and stole a quantity of alcohol from the shop.

Police were called out to the violent disturbance and Carmichael, of Kirk View, was arrested soon after.

She appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on April 22 where she pleaded guilty to four offences and sentence was deferred to last week for the preparation of social work reports.

The case called again on Tuesday where Sheriff Peter McCormack was told that, due to a backlog at the social work department, the report was not available.

The sheriff deferred sentence further to next month.

Carmichael pleaded guilty to stealing alcohol, possessing an axe, attempting to strike Mr Naeem with the axe and to behaving in a threatening manner, all at Kirk View, Haddington, on February 10 this year.