A WOMAN has been jailed for physically abusing three young children at addresses in Rosyth and Kirkcaldy.

The children – one was just three at the time – were struck repeatedly with a belt and her hand in assaults which took place over a period of more than three years.

They were carried out by Vita Zartman, 49, who had initially avoided a jail term for her cruel acts when she was put on a community payback order.

However, she then began to take heroin and failed to comply with the order.

Zartman, who previously lived in Rosyth, Kirkcaldy and Thornton, appeared from custody at Dunfermline Sheriff Court to have a new sentence imposed.

Zartman, who was accompanied in the dock by a Russian translator, had previously admitted four charges.

On repeated occasions between April 16, 2013, and June 16, 2016, at addresses in Rosyth and Kirkcaldy, she assaulted a girl, then aged between five and eight, by striking her on the body repeatedly with a belt and striking her on the head and body repeatedly with her hand, all to her injury.

On repeated occasions between April 16, 2013, and June 16, 2016, at the same addresses, she assaulted a boy then aged between three and six, by striking him repeatedly on the body with a belt to his injury.

On repeated occasions between April 16, 2013, and June 16, 2016, again in Rosyth and Kirkcaldy, she assaulted a boy, then aged between eight and 11, by striking him repeatedly on the body with a belt and struck him on the head and body repeatedly with her hand.

Zartman also admitted that between January 1 and June 16, 2016, she wilfully mistreated five children, neglected, abandoned and exposed them to unnecessary suffering by failing to provide them with adequate food, failed to provide them with adequate clothing, failed to maintain their personal hygiene, failed to provide clean bedding and neglected their physical welfare.

The case has gone on for so long because Zartman failed to appear in court in November 2018 and was arrested on a warrant.

She was then in custody until May this year when she was placed on a community payback order.

Defence solicitor Catherine Chalmers said: “She admits she has made some very silly decisions in her life and she knows she needs help. She was released in May and things again got on top of her.

“She has had heroin addiction problems and she now has immigration issues.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair told Zartman: “These were extremely serious offences, including assaulting children with weapons. You were given the opportunity of a non-custodial sentence when you appeared here in May.

“You then breached that order when you began taking drugs. This meant the order was unworkable.”

Sheriff MacNair jailed Zartman for 17 months but reduced this to seven months because of the time she had spent on remand.