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Exclusive: Wife of Elgin City director convicted of Stars in their Eyes OAP assault

Oct 31 2008 By Bob Dow

 

A FOOTBALL club director's wife was yesterday convicted of assaulting an elderly Stars In Their Eyes organiser.

 

Drunken Carol Mutch, 45, called Pauline Cruickshank, 69, a "wrinkly old bitch" and punched her to the ground.

 

Mutch, whose husband Graham is a director of Elgin City FC, was ordered to pay a ?600 bond and to be of good behaviour for a year.

 

The attack happened at a Stars In Their Eyes contest held by the football club at their annual awards bash at Borough Briggs stadium.

 

After the verdict, Pauline said she felt "totally vindicated".

 

She added: "The last 18 months have been absolutely horrendous.

 

"Carol Mutch has never shown any remorse for what she did and has never once offered an apology."

 

An earlier hearing at Elgin Sheriff Court was told that a steward had asked Mutch to leave the function hall after a complaint about her behaviour.

 

On her way out, she lunged at Pauline, who is president of the team's social club.

 

Pauline was treated at the scene by local doctor Joanne Hobson, 30, who had taken part in the competition as Nancy Sinatra.

 

Businesswoman Mutch, of Elgin, denied assault and breach of the peace on April 28 last year.

 

She admitted she had been "quite drunk" after knocking back a bottle of wine and eight gins.

 

But Mutch claimed she did not deliberately hit Pauline.

 

She insisted she had only caught the grandmother's glasses with her hand by accident after pointing at her as she was being escorted from the function hall.

 

Mutch, who was on the social club committee, accused Pauline of "taking a dive" and making a drama out of nothing.

 

The incident led to Mutch being banned for life from the club. Her husband, who had been escorted from the function hall earlier in the evening, had been banned from the social club until the outcome of yesterday's court case.

 

The catering company boss is still a director of the Third Division side and he is in charge of hospitality on match days.

 

Season-ticket holder Pauline has been involved with the club for 15 years and is still on the social committee.

 

Her husband Robert is the club's groundsman.

 

She said: "It has been pretty difficult for us with Carol Mutch's husband still heavily involved with the club.

 

"I thought he might have done the decent thing after his wife's behaviour."