A WOMAN went on a racist rampage at a cricket match, chasing Asian players around the pitch in the middle of a game.
Lisa Notman was part of a group who hurled abuse at the players in Edinburgh, demanding to know: “Where are your visas?”
The 39-year-old also kicked a woman in the face during the incident at the Meadows, a city centre park popular with families.
Notman appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court this week where she admitted shouting, swearing, interrupting a cricket match, chasing players and uttering words of a racist nature during the breach of the peace offence.
Notman, whose was listed in court papers as a prisoner in Cornton Vale, also pleaded guilty to attacking Yasmin Akamunde-Miles, along with an unknown woman, by repeatedly punching her on the face, pulling her hair, knocking her to the ground and repeatedly kicking her on the face and body.
She was originally accused of trying to steal cricket bats and other equipment from the players but the charge was dropped before the hearing.
The incident happened on a Monday afternoon in June this year at a cricket pitch on the Meadows.
Fiscal depute Ian Wallace told the court that Notman was at the park with others and was under the influence of alcohol.
Mr Wallace said: “She and others were shouting words at the cricket players, a number of whom were Asian.
“The females were shouting ‘where are your visas?’” the fiscal said.
They also swore and described the players as a “f****** disgrace”, Mr Wallace added.
Then Notman, along with another woman, walked up to the cricket players and continued shouting at them. In an apparent reference to comic character Ali G’s catchphrase, one of the women shouted: “Is it ‘cause I am black?”
Those who were at the cricket match intervened and tried to stop Notman, who had at one point been chasing the players. A big argument ensued, he added.
The argument came to an end and Notman continued to drink in the Meadows area, Mr Wallace said.
But later that day Notman and another female carried out an attack on Ms Akamunde-Miles who was at the cricket ground, the fiscal said.
“They started behaving aggressively towards her and started pulling at her. She was pulled by her hair, was knocked to the ground, and while she was on the ground she was kicked on the face by Notman repeatedly, and also by the other female,” said Mr Wallace.
He added that the two women also punched their victim. There were a lot of people in the area at the time of the incident, said the fiscal.
“When the police arrived Notman was seen to be very drunk and made no attempt at escape. She was apologetic at that time,” the fiscal said.
The victim was left with minor injuries, including bruising to the left cheek and the neck, said the fiscal.
A plea of not guilty to a third charge that Notman attacked another woman, Harriet Braine, by repeatedly punching and kicking her on the face and body, was dropped by the Crown.
Sheriff Neil MacKinnon deferred sentence for reports until later this month and remanded Notman in custody.
