Bodybuilder faces jail for knocking man out at showjumping ball
Victim floored by punch after row over spilled drinks
A BODYBUILDER is facing jail after breaking a man’s jaw when his girlfriend clashed with a schoolgirl at a ball.
Ross Kerr knocked Peter West out cold with a single punch at the British Showjumping Association’s Scottish Branch annual awards ball.
Fellow party-goers assisted Mr West, 49, and called for an ambulance to treat him.
Kerr, who describes himself on his Facebook page as ‘a worldrenowned junior professional bodybuilder’, and his then girlfriend Holly Cunningham, were ushered out of the room.
He was arrested 40 minutes later in the bedroom he was sharing with Cunningham, 26, at the ball venue, the upmarket, 14th century Airth Castle Hotel and Spa near Falkirk in Stirlingshire.
Yesterday, Stirling Sheriff Court heard that Mr West had been taken to the nearby Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, then transferred to Monklands General Hospital in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.
It was found that he had suffered a fracture and bruising to the left hand side of his jaw. Doctors ordered him not to chew for six weeks while the injury healed naturally.
Prosecutor Sarah Lumsden said the incident occurred at about 1am on January 15.
Mr West, his wife Sarah, a 14-yearold girl and a ten-year-old boy were at the ball, as were 23-year-old Kerr, of Cardenden, Fife, and Cunningham.
Miss Lumsden said the teenage girl was on crutches, due to having a plaster cast on her right ankle.
The depute fiscal said the Wests were seated at a table with the girl and a friend. She told the court: ‘Peter West had noticed the girlfriend of the accused walking around the venue in a very drunken state.
‘Began to shout abuse at the girl’
She walked over to the Wests’ table, followed by her boyfriend Kerr.
‘She spilled a drink over Peter West and knocked over a few glasses on the table. That was accidental, probably due to the fact that she was intoxicated.’
Miss Lumsden said that the girl asked Cunningham ‘what was happening’, adding: ‘At this, she began to shout abuse at the girl, who pointed out to her that she was 14 and on crutches.
‘Words were heated between the pair, such that Peter West stood up and said to Cunningham she’d had too much to drink and advised her to go to her room. At this juncture, Kerr approached Mr West and punched him, causing him to fall to the ground. He was rendered unconscious for a short period of time.’
Miss Lumsden said the assault was witnessed by the ten-year-old boy, among others. She added: ‘Cunningham and the accused were ushered out. Both returned to their room and police were contacted.’
Kerr initially denied throwing a punch. He told officers: ‘I was just trying to get the guy, who was pulling at my top, off.’
But in court he pleaded guilty to assault to severe injury.
Murray Aitken, defending, said it was ‘unclear’ if the injury was caused by Kerr’s punch or Mr West’s resulting fall. He added: ‘Witnesses describe him as falling awkwardly and landing heavily.
‘Mr Kerr of course accepts that he caused the injury. It’s just a question of the forcefulness or otherwise of the blow that was impacted.’
Sheriff Wyllie Robertson deferred sentence for reports and continued Kerr’s bail. Cunningham was fined £200 at Falkirk Sheriff Court on July 18 after she pleaded guilty to assault and using threatening and abusive behaviour in connection with the incident.