Woman, 24, breaks five-year-old's collarbone after shoving her off trampoline

Jaime-Lee Ferguson, 24, admitted to having shoved the girl off the edge of a trampoline in October last year that led her being hospitalised for a broken collarbone

A woman broke a five-year-old girl's collarbone when she shoved her off a trampoline.

The girl's collarbone was broken after she was pushed from the raised edge of the trampoline by Jaime-Lee Ferguson, 24. The Perth Sheriff Court heard Ferguson had been in the centre of the trampoline while the child was outside the safety net and then shoved the girl off.

Ferguson, from Perth, was charged with assaulting the child on October 15 last year. She admitted to the alternative charge of culpable and reckless conduct at a property in the city as well as having pushed the child in the back causing her to fall.

Fiscal depute Kate Scarborough told the court: "The complainer was five years old at the time. There is footage which shows the child walking along the outside edge of the trampoline.

"There was a net up, and the accused was on the inside of it. Essentially, she pushed the child to her back through the netting, which caused her to fall off the trampoline to the floor, whereby she fractured her collarbone.

"In terms of the injury, she was taken to accident and emergency and was found to have a closed fracture. I don't believe much in the way of further treatment was required. She was given a sling to wear for a period of time."

The Daily Record reported solicitor Steve Lafferty, defending, said: "She is mortified this has happened. They were in high spirits, there was a push, and she doesn't really know why she did it, but she knows it was wrong. It was on to the grass. It wasn't that high and she didn't appreciate the effect it would have."

The court heard the girl complained about the pain the day following the incident and was taken to hospital. "She deeply regrets what happened," Lafferty continued.

"She has had her own difficulties, which is reflected in the social work report. It is clearly a serious matter. She very much scored an own goal. She has a very slender record and has displayed some insight. She said this was an accident, but she didn't understand the nuances of what culpable and reckless behaviour is."

Sheriff William Gilchrist said he would follow the recommendation of the background report and placed Ferguson under a social work supervision for six months.