A 30-year-old man took matters into his own hands after a row involving a teenage boy at a Lochgelly shop.

The schoolboy ended up in tears after being assaulted by Dean Harman.

Harman, of Russell Street, Lochgelly, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff

He previously admitted that on November 3 at the Co-op, Bank Street, Lochgelly, he assaulted a boy then aged 14, seized him by the clothing, dragged him and struck him on the head.

Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said the boy was on his lunch break from school and entered the shop at around 1pm.

He was asked to leave the store having caused a disturbance there before.

Harman was present and became involved in the incident. This led to the boy being “smacked to the face” and he started crying as a result.

Sheriff Edward Gilroy said from reading the social work report the boy had been “more vociferous and reluctant to leave the shop” than the Crown narrative suggested.

The sheriff told Harman: “You became involved in a situation where you would have been better staying out of it. The shopkeeper was dealing with it.

“No matter if this boy was misbehaving you shouldn’t have been putting hands on him.”

The sheriff deferred sentence until October 4 for good behaviour.