AN argument started in one Cowdenbeath bar and continued in another before the row escalated into an assault.

Darren Butler, 42, of Main Street, Lumphinnans, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted that on December 17 at The Beath Inn, High Street, Cowdenbeath, he assaulted a man by pushing him on the body, punched him on the head causing him to fall and kicked him on the body, all to his injury.

Depute fiscal Catherine Stevenson said Butler became involved in a row with another man in a pub.

He had left and gone to another bar, the Beath Inn, however the man he had been arguing with turned up there later.

“There was further squabbling between them and the accused was asked to leave,” added the depute.

A witness then heard Butler saying: “He’s going to get it when he comes out.”

The pair were seen pushing and shoving each other before the other man fell to the ground. He was then kicked by Butler before a member of the public intervened to stop the attack.

Defence solicitor Amy Allan said her client was initially upset because the man had been “talking loudly in the bar about Mr Butler’s previous convictions.”

Sheriff Peter Anderson told Butler: “You need to walk away.”

He imposed a community payback order with 100 hours of unpaid work and 12 months of supervision. He also imposed a three-month restriction of liberty order.