Edinburgh crime: Blackburn woman ordered to pay policeman compensation after biting attack

A Scots waitress who left a police constable bloodied following a savage biting attack has been ordered to pay the officer compensation.

Alicja Kosno had been out celebrating her 19th birthday when she became involved in a drunken row with her mother in Edinburgh city centre last year.

Passing police officers spotted the fracas and after stopping to intervene Kosovo lashed out at PC Lewis Hardie by kicking and biting him.

The bite to the officer’s arm drew blood and the constable was forced to attend hospital to have a Hepatitis B jab by medics.

Alicja Kosno had been out celebrating her 19th birthday when she became involved in a drunken row with her mother in Edinburgh city centre last year.

Kosno, from Blackburn, West Lothian, was also taken to the Capital’s royal infirmary where she continued her drunken tirade by “shouting, screaming and swearing” at nursing staff.

The now 20-year-old restaurant worker appeared at the city’s sheriff court last month where she represented herself and pleaded guilty to two offences.

The waitress returned to the dock for sentencing on Tuesday where she offered a heartfelt apology to the officer by saying she was “really, really sorry for what I did”.

Sheriff Grant McCulloch issued a total fine of £320 and told Kosno she must also pay PC Hardie £100 in compensation.

Previously the court was told Kosno was spotted “struggling with her mother” at around 1am at the capital’s Greenside Place on July 2 last year.

Fiscal depute Gillian Koren said Kosno’s mother was attempting to place her daughter in a waiting vehicle when police stopped to assist.

The court heard Kosno had been out celebrating her 19th birthday with family and at the time was said to be heavily “intoxicated”.

During the bust up with her mother the girl pretended to be unconscious by laying on the pavement but was said to have soon made “a miraculous recovery”.

The court heard she then kicked out at PC Hardie before violently biting down on his forearm causing blood to be drawn.

The fiscal added Kosno then continued to shout, scream and swear after she had been taken to the city hospital due to her drunken state.

The court was told Kosno was offered a chance to apologise while at the hospital but that she had “laughed in the face of the officers”.

The court also heard PC Hardie was forced to take six days off work after suffering a bad reaction to the Hepatitis B jab.

Sheriff McCulloch had said Kosovo was “ludicrously drunk” and that “biting anybody, particularly a policeman in his duty, is extremely serious”.

Kosno admitted to assaulting PC Hardie by kicking and biting him on the body at Greenside Place, Edinburgh, on July 2 last year.

She also pleaded guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on the same date.