Sisters Lorna Carmichael and Ann Gillespie attacked retired police officer and wife at Jersey Boys show

Two sisters have been convicted of assaulting a retired police officer and his wife at a Jersey Boys theatre show.

Lorna Carmichael, 43, initially pounced on the man at Glasgow’s Kings Theatre on April 19 2022.

The nurse punched and scratched him near the lobby as both exited with their families.

Care home worker Ann Gillespie, 52, meantime grabbed his wife on the body which caused her to almost fall down stairs

Matters arose after the man complained to the sisters about them making noise and their “theatre etiquette.”

The witness told Glasgow Sheriff Court that one of the siblings said to him that they were “enjoying themselves” to which he replied: “You are just drunk.”

He claimed that a woman then “lunged” at him which caused him to fall on the stairs.

The witness stated that the woman’s body was on top of his legs which pinned him down.

He said: “I just wanted to try and back away rather than push her away.

“At that point she still had a hold of me and I could feel a few blows and scratching to my head.

“I could feel she was trying to get her nails in my eye socket – I spent my time holding her hand away.”

Prosecutor Gail Campbell asked the witness how he felt at the time.

He replied: “Shocked that something like that happened at the theatre on a Tuesday night or at all. I was quite shocked.

“Perhaps with my previous employment I could deal with it better than some.”

The man stated that the incident was split up by members of staff and the police also attended.

The woman meantime claimed that Gillespie signalled at her “come on” from the bottom of the stairs at the exit.

The witness stated that she grabbed a railing and sat down as she was aware that she was on a set of stairs while Gillespie came towards her.

She said: “It was almost as if she was pulling me – she pulled my T-shirt, she pulled my necklace.

“I had fingernail marks to the top of my chest and I had a bit of blood on my mouth.”

The woman told the court that the incident lasted “seconds.”

Ms Campbell asked the woman how she felt about the incident.

She replied: “Horrible – I think I have been to the theatre once since then – I am too afraid to go back.”

Carmichael and Gillespie’s mother told the court in her evidence that the trio were out for her birthday.

The 72-year-old claimed that the man had called the trio “sl**s” which he had earlier denied.

The pensioner went on to state that the man was the aggressor who went for Carmichael who she stood in front of.

She said: “I was maybe two or three stairs up. He pushed me and I fell down the stairs.”

The witness claimed she suffered an arm injury and received injections to heal the pain.

Sheriff David Taylor found Carmichael, of Germiston, guilty of assaulting the man while Gillespie, of Garthamlock, was convicted of attacking his wife.

The sheriff stated that the witnesses were “credible and reliable.”

Neale McShane, defending Carmichael, told the court: “It seems she reacted aggressively to someone and given her age as well as her profession, it is clearly out of character.

“She will be required to report this matter to the midwifery council and might well be investigated to see if she can be fit to practise.”

Atlanta Jack, defending Gillespie, also stated that the matter is out of character for her client who has worked in her field for 18 years.

The sheriff fined Gillespie £210 and sentence was deferred until next month pending background reports for Carmichael.