A teenager who broke a Fife footballer’s jaw in an apparently “unprovoked” attack in a park has been warned he could be jailed.
The youth, then only 15, swung a single punch at East Fife player Lucas Williamson as the former Dundee United youth tried to walk away from an argument in King’s Park, Stirling.
The single punch knocked the left-back unconscious for around two minutes.
Stirling Sheriff Court heard Mr Williamson had been on his way to a house party at about 10.30pm on July 17 last year and had gone to the park to meet up with friends, who were also going.
Single punch attack
Shortly after their arrival in the park, the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, approached Mr Williamson and his friends.
They walked away from him because they believed he was about to start an argument.
Prosecutor Katie Cunningham said: “The accused walked up behind Mr Williamson and punched him from behind, once on the left side of his face, rendering him instantly unconscious.
“He remained unconscious for around two minutes.”
An X-ray revealed Mr Williamson’s left mandible had been fractured and he had surgery to insert a metal plate and screws in his jaw.
Miss Cunningham said: “He was unable to eat or play football for seven weeks, which impacted on his profession as a semi-professional footballer.”
The court heard Mr Williamson and his attacker were unknown to each other.
‘All sentencing options open’
Williamson’s attacker, now 16, who is from the Stirling area, was accompanied to court by his father.
He pled guilty to assault causing severe injury.
Sheriff Keith O’Mahony deferred sentence until August 31 for reports and continued bail.
He said “all options” would be open at the sentencing hearing.
He added: “It would appear to my interpretation that this represented an unprovoked attack.”
Solicitor Frazer McCready, defending, reserved mitigation.
He said the accused accepted the terms of the Crown’s narration but added: “There’s a bit of a background that I can go into in due course.”
Lucas Williamson, 19, began his career at Dundee United, then joined Alloa Athletic and played for Berwick Rangers on loan, before signing for East Fife on an 18-month contract.
Manager Stevie Crawford named him as one of a crop of young players he expects to do well this season.
He was an unused substitute in the league opening 3-1 win over Elgin on Saturday.
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