A 20-year-old Kinglassie man has been cleared of threatening to beat up a teenage boy on Christmas Day.
Alan Glover, of Laurence Park, denied the charges when he appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court on Tuesday.
Sheriff Alastair Thornton heard testimony from two child witnesses who claimed to have seen Glover carry out the attack.
The two boys claimed they were out playing with a Nerf gun, a toy which shoots ammunition made from foam, which they had received as a Christmas present.
When they were approached by another group of boys they shot a foam bullet at one of them and an argument ensued. They claimed Glover then took it upon himself to get involved with the opposing group.
They said Glover pinned his victim up against a garden fence by his shirt near his neck and threatened to “smash and batter him”.
Glover’s solicitor said: “There are important differences between the testimony of the two witnesses. For example, at the start of the incident one had Mr Glover making a telephone call on a balcony.
“The other has Mr Glover being in the kitchen and coming out when he hears the Nerf gun being fired.
“I find that incredible. That appears to be nonsense. It is obvious that they are trying to hide something from the court.
“If Mr Glover was involved it must have been to intervene on their behalf. I would suggest that they have an axe to grind and are trying to get Mr Glover in trouble.”
Glover was accused of, on December 25 2012, at Forres Drive, Glenrothes, shouting, swearing, chasing after a juvenile, seizing him by the clothing and making threats of violence.
Sheriff Thornton said: “What the witnesses said is indeed plausible but so is the account that Mr Glover gave to the police.
“I am left with reasonable doubt about what occurred and the law demands that doubt goes to Mr Glover.”