A WOMAN slashed a train conductor's face with a broken bottle after he told her to leave a first class compartment with her four-year-old son because she did not have the right ticket.

Leigh Coggins, 38, was given her freedom by a judge at York Crown Court yesterday, after he heard she had already been held in custody for a month at her own request, so that she could sort herself out.

Coggins, a woman of previous good character, of Nansen Street, Scarborough, admitted causing actual bodily harm to train conductor Raymond Carter at Scarborough Station on August 1, using threatening behaviour towards station supervisor Christine Botham, and possessing an offensive weapon - the neck of a broken bottle.

Judge Gavin Barr Young ordered Coggins to pay Mr Carter £100 compensation and put her on probation for 18 months.

Alan Mitcheson, prosecuting, said Coggins had consumed a litre of cider and three shots of vodka, and had taken a higher dose of medication than prescribed, when she boarded the train in York with her son to return to Scarborough.

During the journey, she was seen in a first class compartment and when the conductor checked her ticket he found it was not the right one.

Mr Mitcheson said she and the boy were asked to move and Coggins became abusive.

When the train arrived in Scarborough, station supervisor Christine Botham boarded in the hope of calming her.

Although she had left the train, Coggins refused to leave the platform and had a further confrontation with the conductor.

Mr Mitcheson said: "She launched an attack. Mr Carter felt a stinging sensation to his face and noticed the woman had the neck of a broken bottle her hand. She was still being restrained when police arrived and arrested her."

The judge said: "All this is very strange for a woman of 38 with no previous convictions.

"It appears you acted very foolishly by taking more of your medication than you should have, and compounded things by drinking.