A Fife man must pay his victim compensation after a brutal head stamp attack in Glenrothes.
Andrew Malcolm, 24, was also given unpaid work instead of a prison sentence after seriously assaulting the man at Caskieberran Road.
Co-accused Jake Goodfellow had pulled him to the ground over a remark he made about his then-girlfriend, before Malcolm savagely joined in the attack.
They had just left the Styx snooker club.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard previously Malcolm repeatedly punched and kicked the man to the head and body before stamping on his head, leaving him unconscious for seven minutes, in the early hours of January 23 2022.
A CT scan at Victoria Hospital revealed bruising, swelling and a haematoma.
Malcolm appeared in the dock for sentencing after earlier admitting his part in the assault left his victim severely injured and endangered his life.
‘Drunken brawl’
Defence lawyer David Cranston said Malcolm, 21 at the time, “presented as very ashamed of what he became involved in, as the gravity of it was lost at the time.
“There was very little thought whilst the offence was being committed.
“There was no planning or suggestion of weapons used.
“It was a drunken brawl that got significantly out of hand.
“His actions, he recognises, were fairly repugnant”.
Referring to a social work report, Mr Cranston said the offence was a “trigger for a sea-change in his behaviour” and it is been a “long time” since he has been drunk.
He said Malcolm, who works in joinery and wants to set up his own business, has not committed any offences since.
Mr Cranston said Malcolm also told him he was approached by his victim a few months later and he “took that opportunity to apologise for what he had done”.
Co-accused
Sheriff Steven Borthwick told Malcolm, of Balfour Gardens, Glenrothes, it was an “extremely serious assault”.
The sheriff ordered him to carry out 220 hours of unpaid work, made a £500 compensation order and placed him on offender supervision for two years.
Sheriff Borthwick stressed the sentence was a direct alternative to custody, taking into account his age at the time and that he pled guilty in advance of a trial.
At an earlier hearing, co-accused Goodfellow – also 21 at the time – was sentenced for his role in the attack.
Goodfellow, now 23, admitted assaulting Mr Boyne by pushing and pulling him to the ground, repeatedly punching and attempting to punch him on the head and body.
His defence lawyer, David Bell, said the complainer had antagonised his client and made a derogatory comment about his then-girlfriend and they ended up in a “grappling fight” on the ground.
Sheriff Borthwick ordered Goodfellow to do 160 hours of unpaid work and made a £250 compensation order.
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