A WEST Fife man who admitted chopping the tail off a goldfish, was placed on probation for two years when he appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court yesterday.

Kenneth Grindlay, from Rosyth, could offer no explanation for why he was so cruel to the six-year-old pet, which was so badly injured it had to be put down.

Grindlay (21), of Norval Place, pleaded guilty at an earlier appearance to causing the fish unnecessary suffering at his home on March 18.

At the time the court heard Grindlay had spent the afternoon drinking prior to the offence and was bored.

He picked up a pair of scissors his mother had left out for him to trim his beard with and cut off the goldfish’s tail.

He then put it back in its bowl.

His mother found it when she got home and was so shocked she called the police.

A vet said it was among the worst injuries he had ever seen on a goldfish.

Grindlay told the police, “I was a bit drunk...I was just bored.”

Sheriff Ian Dunbar heard yesterday a psychiatrist had examined Grindlay and concluded that he was sane and fit to plead.

While there was nothing wrong with the accused’s mental health as such, it was clear all was not as it should be and he had issues that required to be addressed.

Grindlay had a long-standing problem with alcohol and drug misuse and those were thought to have played a key role in the offence.

Sheriff Dunbar told him, “The circumstances of the offence, your explanation and the fact that drink was involved really doesn’t lessen the seriousness of it.

“It is something that some people just can’t understand anyone doing.”

He said he believed Grindlay would benefit from a period of probation.

Grindlay was also fined £200 after he admitted being in possession of heroin at Dunfermline police station on August 31 of this year.

He told the court he had been given the £10 bag by a friend, but did not use the drug.