October 2026

Woman avoids jail for biting one-year-old in Ardrossan

A pregnant woman who injured a one-year-old boy by viciously biting his leg has avoided jail — despite a sheriff saying the attack crossed the threshold for a prison sentence.

Haylie Lynn, 24, from Irvine, was handed a community payback order with two years of social work supervision after being convicted of assault at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Sukhwinder Gill described the attack at an address in Ardrossan which left teeth marks in the boys leg as an “extremely cruel and unnatural act” and said she was “lost for words”.

Lynn was found guilty following a trial, but the court heard she continued to deny the offence.

Sentencing had previously been deferred for background reports. When Lynn returned to court, Sheriff Gill made clear that the seriousness of the assault justified custody.

“This is a serious offence, there is no doubt this crosses the custodial threshold, but I am going to step back from that,” she said.

The sheriff told Lynn she could impose a maximum prison sentence of 12 months, but expected her to serve “around three months”.

She added: “That would be appealed and I have no doubt that the Court of Appeal would let you out within 48 hours because you are pregnant.”

Instead, Lynn received the community sentence. Sheriff Gill said she also took account of Lynn’s age and previous record of three convictions, none involving violence.