Man attacked father over missing cash from baby’s card

Grandfather ended up with a broken ankle after assault

A Fife man attacked his estranged father, who was suspected to have stolen money from a baby’s card.

Gary Rowley Sr was violently assaulted after £40 went missing during a visit to see his new grandchild.

Gary Rowley Jr, 26, took the law into his own hands, punching his dad, knocking him over and as he fell, he broke his ankle, leaving the bone protruding through the skin.

Rowley Jr, of McGinlay Terrace, Lochore, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He previously admitted that on September 8 last year at Martin Crescent, Ballingry, he assaulted Gary Rowley Sr, punched him on the face, knocking him to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked him on the body, all to his severe injury.

Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said: “The complainer is the accused’s father but they do not see each other regularly. There was more contact last September around the time the accused was about to become a father.

“Mr Rowley Sr went to see the child who was then five days old. He went into the kitchen and had a cup of tea before leaving. The accused was not present when he was there.

“The partner of the accused then discovered that some money was missing from the kitchen and formed the view that the complainer was responsible for the theft. She told the accused what had happened.

“At 2pm that day the accused approached his father and punched him on the left side of his face.”

The police were called and they found Mr Rowley sitting on an embankment with a broken ankle.

“The officers could clearly see the ankle was broken because the bone was protruding through the skin,” said Mr Kapadia.

“The accused later explained that while Gary Rowley was his father, he was brought up by his grandparents and he had no relationship with his father.

“He said his father drinks and takes drugs and so thought presumably that’s what the theft was for.

“He said the £40 stolen was for his partner and the child.”

Defence solicitor Alexander Flett said: “The father is well known to these courts and his son is not.

“His father is not welcome but Mr Rowley Jr was out of the house having gone to register the child’s birth.”

Sheriff Charles MacNair imposed an eight-month restriction of liberty order on Mr Rowley Jr.

He said his father drinks and takes drugs and so thought presumably that’s what the theft was for.

DEPUTE FISCAL DEV KAPADIA