A 13-year-old schoolboy had to have his face rebuilt after a brutal assault at a Kennoway bus stop.
The youngster’s injuries were so severe he needed a metal plate inserted.
His attacker, who was 15 at the time, appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court and admitted the drunken assault in September, last year.
The teenage thug, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was told he could have killed his victim.
The 16-year-old was placed on supervision for a year and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
Dicing with death
The court heard that the older teen approached the boy at a bus stop and asked him for the time.
When he answered, the boy was punched in the face and his attacker ran away.
Imposing a community payback order, Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane told the teenager: “These are difficult cases to sentence as a sheriff.
“On the one hand, you have a complainer who could be dead because of what you did.”
She said: “I’ll never give up stressing to people like you the danger that you put not just the victim, but yourself in.
“You’re a lucky man to be standing in front of me and not a High Court judge.”
The sheriff added: “I also have to factor that you’re young and immature – but when you think you’re a big man and go out drinking and take drugs, stupid things like this happen.
“There comes a point when you have to take responsibility.
“You’re not going to prison today, so just say thank you.”
His solicitor David Bell said: “Obviously, this incident had a very serious outcome.”
He said his client’s childhood had been “particularly difficult”.
‘Severe’ injury
The teen admitted a charge that he severely injured the schoolboy by punching him on the head at Bishops Court in Kennoway on September 11.
The boy’s victim was taken to A&E at Kirkcaldy’s Victoria Hospital.
There, he was suspected to have a broken jaw and x-rays showed two fractures.
He was left with a bleeding cavity consistent with jaw fractures.
The victim, who also cannot be named, needed surgery to have plates and screws fitted in a bid to rebuild his face.
Afterwards, he was left with difficulty closing his teeth.
Internal scarring on his jaws and gums remain and he is recovering with the help of follow up treatment.
The teenager told police: “I’ve done something really bad.”
And later added: “I got a fright when I done it. It scared me as well. I regret it and I’m sorry.”
