Schoolboy head-butted by home owner after snowball incident
A Fife man reacted angrily when his new house “came under attack” from snowballs as school kids walked past.
Keir Hardie heard loud bangs and discovered his ensuite, where he had left the window open after a shower, was full of snow.
A kitchen window and utility room were also struck by snowballs and Hardie went outside to investigate.
However, his inquiries led to a confrontation with a 14-year-old boy, who was then headbutted by Hardie.
Hardie (43), a self-employed joiner, was on trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for an incident which occurred outside the new home he had just moved into in Hilton Road, Cowdenbeath.
Hardie denied that on 23rd February in Hilton Road he assaulted a 14-year-old boy by head-butting him but was found guilty by Sheriff John Rafferty.
The boy told the school he had been walking home from Beath High with three friends when the incident occurred.
He said a man appeared and started asking if they had been throwing snowballs at this house as he had been told they were responsible.
The witness told the court none of his group had been throwing snowballs near the houses.
He described the man, whom he identified as the accused, as being “quite angry and distraught”.
As the man walked away the boy asked who had accused him and his friends.
At that the boy said Hardie came rushing back over and was face-to-face with him then headbutted him.
“He said ‘You’re a cheeky wee c***’ then he headbutted me. He hit me on the right side of my face under my eye. I was shocked and my friends were shocked. He just walked away.”
The second witness, another 14-year-old boy, also said none of the victim’s group were responsible for throwing snowballs at Hardie’s house.
“He said somebody had cracked his window. There were loads of people walking there after school,” said the witness.
Hardie, who now lives in Alva, told the court, “We had recently moved into a new property. I had a shower and left the window open when I went downstairs. I was sitting in the living room watching TV when there was a large bang from upstairs.”
When he went outside another group of youngsters pointed out the victim as being responsible.
Hardie claimed the youngster had been swearing at him when he asked about the snowballs. He also claimed the boy went to swing a punch at him. “I put my head down to avoid being punched and the top of my head touched his face,” he added.
Sheriff Rafferty found Hardie guilty and fined him £200.