INVERKEITHING MAN WHO BROKE PARTNER’S LEG ORDERED TO PAY £1,500 COMPENSATION
A WOMAN suffered a badly broken leg during an assault by her partner in Inverkeithing.He has now been ordered to complete unpaid work and pay the victim £1,500 in compensation.Michael Paterson, 55, grabbed his partner, then fell on top of her during a struggle, breaking her leg in two places.He then left the house with the woman lying in agony on the floor and he was found hiding in a nearby garden by police.Paterson, of Spittalfield Road, Inverkeithing, appeared for sentencing at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.He admitted that on June 3 last year at his home he assaulted his partner by seizing and holding her by the body.He struggled with her, causing her to fall to the ground, then fell on her, to her severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment.Depute fiscal Sarah Smith said the pair had been in a relationship for a year at the time and lived separately.That evening they had been out socialising and consuming alcohol.At about 1am they left a pool hall in Rosyth and started to walk to Paterson’s home but an argument started.The woman decided to go to her home but her key was in Paterson’s home.He ran into the house, locking his door and leaving her outside.At 3.15am after various messages and calls between them, the woman still did not have her door key and went back to Paterson’s home to get it.She was allowed in by Paterson’s son and found her key.It was in Paterson’s bedroom and she woke him up to ask him why he had been “messing her about for the past few hours”.This started another row and the woman went downstairs to gather belongings she had in the house.Paterson grabbed hold of her, tightening his grip as she tried to break free.During a struggle she fell to the ground and Paterson landed on top of her.“She immediately felt extreme pain in her right leg which felt as if it had snapped,” added the depute.She tried to tell him her leg was broken but he kept saying it was not and denied any responsibility.The victim called for an ambulance and Paterson left the house.Ambulance staff contacted the police and officers found the woman lying on the floor.“She was distressed with an obvious break to her lower leg,” the depute continued.A short time afterwards, Paterson was found hiding in nearby back garden by a police dog.The victim sustained fractures to the tibia and fibula of her leg.She underwent surgery at the Victoria Hospital which involved her having a metal rod and screws put into the leg to hold it together.The woman was left with multiple scars two to three inches long, permanent bruising and a lump.She also required 12 weeks of physiotherapy and still has a limp when she walks because of pain in her leg.Defence solicitor Chris Sneddon said: “He accepts responsibility for the injury and he shouldn’t have laid his hands on her.”However, he added that there was no intention to cause the serious injury which resulted.Sheriff Robert More accepted this and said that made it a “somewhat unusual case”.He added: “The injury must have been excruciatingly painful and the effects are still felt by her.”The sheriff imposed a community payback order with two years of supervision, participation in the Caledonian Programme for domestic offenders and 150 hours of unpaid work.Paterson was also ordered to pay £1,500 to his ex-partner and put on a non-harassment order for five years.
