A mother who berated her son in the street when he threw a strop at having his mobile phone confiscated has been shown mercy by a sheriff .

The mother-of-three was arrested and taken to court for shouting at her 11-year-old son when he ran off after she took his phone away.

But Sheriff Fiona Tait admonished the mother after she was told any parent could understand the frustration she had felt over her son's behaviour.

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted shouting and swearing at her son in the street after becoming frustrated by her son's bad behaviour.

The 33-year-old, who has never been in any trouble before and has no convictions, was arrested after neighbours called the police to complain about the way she chastised her son.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that the boy had been behaving badly for some time and had his new mobile phone taken away as a result.

He stormed out of the family home in Crieff as a result and then got into his grandmother's car and locked himself in it alone.

The woman admitted shouting and swearing and committing a breach of the peace in Crieff on July 1 last year.

Solicitor Mike Tavendale, defending, said: "She is a genuine first offender.

"He hadn't slept well the night before and in my client's words was 'very crabbit'."

Sheriff William Wood had previously deferred sentence for three months so the mother could prove her good behaviour.

Sheriff Tait noted yesterday that the woman had been of good behaviour for the three months and admonished her.