A man knocked unconscious during a night out in Angus suffered a broken jaw and was told by doctors to “avoid chewing” for at least a month.
The man needed emergency surgery after the one-punch attack in Kirriemuir on July 27 last year.
Daniel Rodley appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and pled guilty to assault to severe injury and impairment.
The 41-year-old, who appeared to take exception to prosecutors’ version of events, was handed a community payback order.
Tension on a night-out
Fiscal depute Lissie Cooke told the court: “This incident occurred after parties had been drinking together.”
She said: “(The victim), the accused and a woman were together at a bar in Kirriemuir.
“During the course of the evening, the accused had made several advances towards the woman, which were refused.
“This caused tension between the parties.”
Ms Cooke said when the accused left, the woman and the victim remained at the bar.
“They then went onto to another pub and found the accused there.
“An altercation took place between the complainer and the accused.”
When Ms Cooke described how Rodley punched the man to the head, the accused interrupted from the dock.
“That didn’t happen,” he said.
The charge states he punched the man, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground, knocking him unconscious.
Injuries
Moving on after Rodley’s interruption, Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown asked about the injuries.
The fiscal depute said an x-ray revealed the victim had an open fracture to the left side of his jaw.
He required emergency surgery to install two plates to either side of his jaw.
He was discharged for hospital later that day and given antibiotics and painkillers.
“He was put on a liquid-based diet and told to avoid chewing for a minimum of four weeks,” said Ms Cooke.
In his pre-sentencing report, Rodley, of Kirriemuir, told social workers he had been provoked over a “sustained period”.
Sheriff Martin-Brown ordered the first time offender to carry out 150 hours unpaid work.
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