Footballer who broke player’s jaw avoids jail

A SHERIFF has called a football league ‘an excuse for organised violence’.

Sheriff Jamie Gilchrist, QC, said worrying evidence had emerged at a jury trial he presided over that revealed a ‘quite staggering level of aggressive behaviour and violence’ was ‘accepted’ within the league.

The sheriff hit out as an amateur footballer who broke an opponent’s jaw during a fife Sunday Amateur League clash last year appeared for sentence. Christopher Kyriacou, striker for Kinghorn-based Novar Rovers, pulled Dunfermline United player Chris Comrie to the ground and punched him twice on the head.

falkirk Sheriff Court heard the incident in Kirkcaldy’s Beveridge Park happened on february 24 last year.

In february of this year at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court, Kyriacou, 26, admitted assaulting Mr Comrie to his severe injury and permanent impairment. Sentence was deferred and on Tuesday, he was ordered to do 250 hours of unpaid work.

Solicitor Martin McGuire, defending, said Kyriacou, a joiner, of Kirkcaldy, had served a 16-game ban following the incident and was a first offender with an excellent work record.

He added that Kyriacou had ‘perceived a threat’ towards his brother. Imposing sentence, Sheriff Gilchrist told Kyriacou: ‘You inflicted a serious, lasting injury on the victim.

‘On the other hand I have to take into account the behaviour of the victim, which was far from acceptable and to an extent, though probably not in the legal sense, was provocative to say the least.

‘I am persuaded it is possible to deal with the matter in a manner other than custody.’