Man sentenced for fight which left victim with broken jaw

A Facebook dispute led to two men meeting up for a fight in the middle of the night and one of them sustaining a broken jaw.

Keith Annandale, 20, of Seafar Drive, Kelty, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court after admitting that on January 28 at Linwood Drive, Leven, he assaulted Kieran Whip by punching him on the head to his injury, whilst acting under provocation.

Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden told the court Annandale and the victim had gone to different house parties that night. In the early hours they became involved in an argument on Facebook with challenges made to have a fight. They met up at 4.30am and “agreed to go outside to sort out their issue”, added the depute.

There was a scuffle and then Annandale punched Mr Whip, who immediately felt blood in his mouth.

After attending hospital it was found he had sustained a fractured lower jaw. This needed surgery with a metal plate being inserted. He still suffers from loss of sensation.

Defence solicitor Roshni Joshi said his client had been receiving messages of a threatening nature from the complainer.

Sheriff Charles MacNair was unimpressed by the fact the Crown accepted a plea that Annandale had acted under provocation, as this only amounted to him being challenged to fight.

The sheriff told Annandale: “Whilst it was an arranged fight, you didn’t have to go there and you then broke the complainer’s jaw in the course of it.”

He imposed a community payback order with three years supervision and 230 hours of unpaid work.