A LARGS woman has dodged jail after she was caught threatening a potential witness in a court case.

Rona Strachan was ordered to carry out unpaid work as a punishment following the incident in town just before Christmas.

The 41-year-old appeared at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court for sentencing after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing to acting in a threatening or abusive manner towards a woman in Largs on December 20 last year.

The allegation admitted by the Queens Avenue resident stated that she did so knowing that the woman could possibly be a witness in an upcoming court case in relation to a charge of assault, though Strachan was not the accused.

The charge stated that Strachan behaved the way she did in an effort to prevent the woman giving evidence, and that she shouted threats of violence and threatened to damage the woman’s property.

Before sentencing, Strachan’s solicitor told Sheriff Colin Bisset: "There is no getting away from the reality that this is a serious matter. I made that clear to Ms Strachan on the last occasion [that the case came to court].

“It is fair to say that custody would be at the forefront of your Lordship’s mind.

"However, she has been on bail with special conditions with no problem. She is someone who can comply with a court order.”

Sheriff Bisset placed Strachan on a community payback order which will see her supervised by social workers for 12 months.

She was also ordered to complete 112 hours of unpaid work by the end of December.

Sheriff Bisset told Strachan: “Any abuse or threats made towards persons cited as witnesses in this court will not be tolerated, though I accept that you regret your actions.”