A man who broke his victim’s jaw in two places with one punch in a nightclub has been ordered to carry out 280 hours of unpaid work.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that William Carle, 30, of Rose Terrace, Perth, was annoyed when the man pinched his girlfriend’s bottom.
Depute fiscal Chris McIntosh said the accused’s girlfriend was “touched inappropriately” by the complainer.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis asked: “Would you say this was the catalyst for this punch?”
Solicitor Paul Ralph, defending, agreed and said the woman confronted the man but he just “shrugged” his shoulders.
“Then my client struck the man, with unfortunate consequences,” he said.
The court heard how the man’s jaw was broken in two places, resulting in him having metal plates inserted in his face.
Carle admitted that on June 14 at The Loft, South Street, Perth, he punched a man to his severe injury.
Sentencing Carle, Sheriff Foulis warned him that “just one blow” from a “powerfully built” man could lead to the recipient losing his/her life.
“You probably didn’t intend to break this man’s jaw, but this was a similar scenario,” he said.
“There was a pre-cursor to this being the inappropriate touch but that doesn’t take away the gravity of this.”