Rugby player called 'fatty' overreacts by charging onto pitch and breaking rival player's jaw with punch

Cameron Pinks boiled over into a blind rage on the sidelines of Fareham and Gosport Rugby Club’s bitter clash with Portsmouth on April 28.

The heavily built 19-year-old was incensed at opposition player Toby Cripps ‘playing dirty’ before a row broke out between the pair.

Pinks stormed onto the pitch and punched Cripps before he was dragged away by his mum, Portsmouth Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Matthew Lawson said: ‘Mr Pinks was incensed at Mr Cripps playing dirty after seeing him put someone in a headlock.’

He added: ‘(Pinks) came on the pitch and punched him in the face.

‘Mr Pinks said he was being provoked by Mr Cripps after having a kiss blown at him and being told: “What you going to do about it fatty?”’

He said: ‘Mr Pinks is sensitive about his weight.’

Police arrived and initially decided to caution Pinks but then decided the offence was so serious they had to charge him.

The victim needed an operation on his jaw.

Pinks, of Sherbrooke Close, Lee-on-the-Solent, admitted grievous bodily harm at the match in Portsmouth.

A statement from Mr Cripps, read by Mr Lawson, said: ‘At the time I was in a huge amount of pain - the worst pain of my life.

‘I couldn’t eat hard food and had to sleep sitting up for a month.

‘I only got a grade D and E in my A-Level exams which was due to being punched as I missed revision and was in a lot of pain.’

Defending, John Naylor, said: ‘There was a lot of jibbing at (Pinks), who thought the victim was playing particularly dirty by putting someone in a headlock after a try.

‘(Pinks) was called a fatty and then overreacted.’

Recorder Karim Ezzat said: ‘The punch could have had far worse consequences. There are cases where one punch kills a person.’

Pinks was given a 12-month community order including 220 hours’ unpaid work. He must pay £340 costs and £700 compensation.