BAD luck and an old football injury combined to land Michael Evans with a bill for £520 yesterday after a fall-out with a friend.
Evans, 47, was in court at Harrogate to admit causing actual bodily harm to Michael Hall after the pair had a "slight disagreement" in the town's Starbeck Working Men's Club.
Caroline Midgley, prosecuting, said that as Mr Hall stood up to leave, Evans put both hands on his back and pushed him, causing him to fall and fracture a kneecap.
In mitigation, Geoffrey Boothby said Evans, of Albert Place, Harrogate, had not worked since being badly hurt in a car crash a decade ago and Mr Hall had a bad knee, the legacy of a footballing incident. He said a reckless push had caused Mr Hall to stumble. His fall was broken by his good knee and there was a fracture.
Court chairman John Carter told Evans: "There was an element of bad luck in this - for him and for you."
Evans was fined £100 and ordered to pay £350 compensation to Mr Hall and £70 prosecution costs
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