Offender used her nails to rip nurse's arm at Forth Valley Royal Hospital

Gemma Craft (32), who was said to abuse substances, supposedly did not remember the attack she carried out on the member of hospital staff.

She appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted assaulting a nursing assistant at Forth Valley Royal Hospital on May 22 last year.

Procurator fiscal depute Fiona Griffin said: “It was 3.30pm when a nursing assistant at the location was restraining the accused, who at the time was a patient at the hospital. She was being restrained on a mattress on the floor.

"The complainer was on the accused’s right side and restraining her arm when the accused managed to turn towards her and grabbed her arm, digging her nails in and breaking the complainer’s skin.”

The court herd Craft was at the hospital on a compulsion order at the time and was “very poorly”.

Craft was described as a “vulnerable individual” whose main problem was her substance abuse.

It was stated she did not remember the offence.

Sheriff Derek Livingston said there was no point imposing a community payback order in this case.

He placed Craft, who lives in Tamfourhill, on a restriction of liberty order – meaning she must remain in her home between the hours of 7pm and 7am for the next eight months.

Sheriff Livingston said: “It’s your final chance – the only alternative to this is custody.”