An argument at a taxi rank resulted in a Fife man stubbing out a lit cigarette in the eye of a woman he claimed had made “homophobic comments” towards him.
At Dunfermline Sheriff Court, Jason Pile, 26, of Moncur Street, Townhill, admitted that on April 18 last year, at Carnegie Drive, Dunfermline, he assaulted Tracy Gavin by striking her on the head with a lit cigarette to her injury.
Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said the incident took place at 2.30am. The complainer had been out drinking and had been at the Brasshouse nightclub.
“At the taxi rank she sees the accused who she’d seen at the Brasshouse earlier,” continued Ms Yousaf.
She made a comment towards him and he reacted angrily.
“He said, ‘I’m going to stub this f****** fag out in your eye,’ and he does this,” said Mr Yousaf.
The woman sustained a scorching mark to her eyelid and there was then “an ensuing melee”.
Despite her injury, the woman did not require medical attention.
Defence solicitor James Moncrieff said his client had been at the nightclub with his boyfriend and had been subjected to “homophobic comments” at the taxi rank.
Mr Moncrieff said his client was originally from Zimbabwe and had a difficult time being accepted at school when he moved to this country because he was an outsider and also because of his sexual orientation.
“This brought up bad memories from then,” he added. “He accepts he snapped and lost his temper.”
Pile, a first offender, was fined £640 by Sheriff Craig McSherry.