A DRUNK dental nurse who woke a pensioner in the middle of the night claiming she needed help with her sick baby, before spitting in the women's face, has been sentenced.

Shannon O’Donnell launched the shocking attack on 72-year-old Irene Reilly after banging on her front door at Tyne Court in Haddington.

O'Donnell also assaulted a factory worker and a police officer by spitting on them during a racist and homophobic tirade in November 2022.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told that, despite O'Donnell's claims that evening, she did not have any children and had no memory of carrying out the assaults.

O’Donnell, 23, pleaded guilty to four offences on indictment when she appeared at the Capital court last month and returned for sentencing on Monday.

Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss imposed a 12-month anti-social behaviour order and placed O’Donnell on a supervision order for the same term.

She will also have to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work in the community over the next year.

READ MORE: Drunk dental nurse banged on door of elderly woman and spat in her face

Previously, fiscal depute Xander van der Scheer told the court that Mrs Reilly and her husband were asleep in bed when she heard banging on her front door at about 1.30am on November 22, 2022.

The fiscal said that Mrs Reilly heard a woman outside shouting that she “needed help as she had a really sick baby” and opened the door to find O’Donnell sitting on her doorstep.

The court heard that O’Donnell was in an “agitated” state and the pensioner had attempted to comfort her.

Mr Van der Scheer said: “Mrs Reilly became quite cold as she was wearing only pyjamas and she stepped back in and started to shut the door.

“It was at this point the accused has jumped up and thrown herself at the door.

“She knocked Mrs Reilly back and as she fell the accused spat directly into her eye.”

The shocked pensioner shouted for help and a neighbour rushed to her aid and the police were contacted.

'Drunk and abusive'

O’Donnell, of Seggarsdean Court, Haddington, left the area and headed towards the nearby PureMalt factory, where she subsequently assaulted nightshift worker Jamie Robertson by spitting at him.

The court was told that O’Donnell was “crying and barged past him” and, after lying down on the floor, she “began screaming she had a baby outside”.

O’Donnell was described as "drunk and abusive” and also slapped and pushed the employee on the body during the incident.

The dental nurse was arrested soon after and, as she was being taken to a waiting police van, the court heard that she spat in the face of PC Gillian Kellet.

Mr Van der Scheer said that O’Donnell shouted abuse at constables, calling one “a blonde b****”, and she was heard making comments including “f***ing p***”, “you brown c***” and “black c***”.

Lawyer Angela Craig, representing O'Donnell, said: “She had been out in the evening socially and the next thing she remembered was being in a police cell.”

The solicitor told the court that O’Donnell did not have any children and lived with her family near to the scene of the incidents.