SMACKING a young child as a punishment for throwing a toy at her sibling led to a court appearance for one Inverkeithing man this week.

Christopher Dow, 42, of Whinnyhill Crescent, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court on Wednesday after earlier admitting that on March 16, at an address in Dunfermline, he assaulted a six-year-old child by striking her on the body to her injury.

Depute Fiscal Dev Kapadia said someone in a neighbouring property heard screaming coming from the house where Dow was looking after two children.

Police were called and he admitted smacking the child after she threw a toy which had hit the forehead of a sibling.

When checked for injuries, redness on the leg was noticed.

Solicitor Barbara Cawley said her client acted impulsively.

"It was something that was not planned," she said. "He appreciates the seriousness of the offence."

Sheriff Charles Macnair deferred sentence for three months for Dow to be of good behaviour.

He told him: "The law in relation to chastisement has changed over the years and causing injury is no longer acceptable behaviour and you seem to realise that now."