A GRANDMOTHER arranged a violent fight between two 12 year old girls, a court heard on Monday.

Esther Doucette ,56, offered to tie back the hair of one of the girls and then warned the other one: "You'll get the first punch, then she'll totally kill you." Doucette, shouted "get the hair, get the hair" as the schoolgirls began to brawl outside her home in Braehead.

And as one of the pair attempted to walk away, Doucette grabbed her by the arm.

Elaine Johnston, prosecuting, said that Doucette had organised the fight from the doorstep of her house.

The depute fiscal said that the incident began when a 12-year-old girl, who had been playing in a park with friends, was approached by another 12 year old girl.

A verbal argument began when one of the girls - who had been friends - called the other "fatty".

Ms Johnston said: "The accused shouted to one of the girls, 'come back at 8pm to fight and you better be ready'.

"The girl went home and told her mother and they came back to the scene, but the accused was not in.

"The girl then came back later with her friends and the accused was heard to say, 'get your mum back here'.

"The accused then said to her, 'You'll get the first punch, then she'll totally kill you' and told the other girl, 'I'll tie your hair back so she can't grab it'." The children then started pushing, pulling and hitting each other in front of an assembled group.

Ms Johnston said: "They started to fight and the accused was heard shouting, 'get the hair, get the hair'.

"One of the girls tried to walk away but the accused grabbed her arm. The girl had a bleeding finger and she went home and told her mum and the police were contacted." At Stirling Sheriff Court, Doucette, unemployed, of Calder Court, pleaded guilty to causing a breach of the peace by encouraging the children to fight on June 4 2012.

Defence solicitor Stephen Macguire said his client was usually of "good character" and had been acting with the "best of intentions".

He said: "She accepts that she encouraged them to fight. She is of good character but let herself down here.

"The two girls were friends but there had been some kind of falling out, which progressed on a social networking site.

"Various comments were shouted and my client did say to one of the girls to get her mother to come round. The girl then chose to come back down with a group of friends.

"Mrs Doucette accepts that she should bot have intervened, and she is mortified. It's regrettable that this happened but I think she was acting with the best of intentions. At the time she felt she had to become involved but if she found herself in that situation again, she would do differently." Sheriff Kenneth McGowan sentenced Doucette to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work in the community. He said that the involvement in the incident of social networking was "part of adolescent life".

He told Doucette: "What you thought you were doing is frankly beyond me. For a woman of your age to encourage two young girls to fight is quite ridiculous."