Big Bang brawl leaves PhD with permanent damage and lawsuit

In June this year, Old Course greenskeeper Kevin Rundstorm brutally assaulted Guy Whitworth, a St Andrews PhD student, following a row over The Big Bang Theory. Mr Whitworth left the Vic with shards of glass in the side of his face and mouth.

The two had met in the Vic bar, and although conversation had initially began in a friendly tone, things became “heated” between Mr Whitworth and Mr Rundstrom following a joke about US science-comedy show The Big Bang Theory.

Mr Rundstrom claimed that Mr Whitworth had “demeaned” him over his scientific knowledge.

“He was trying to put us down and was directing comments towards me trying to demean me and my friend.”

Although Mr Rundstrom later moved to stand next to Mr Whitworth in order to apologise for their earlier row, CCTV footage appeared to show Mr Rundstrom strike Mr Whitworth twice, once with each hand.

Mr Whitworth told the court that he was left with shards of glass in his neck and mouth following the attack. He also claimed that the attack had left him with a permanent scar.

Mr Rundstrom denied a charge of assaulting Mr Whitworth to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement on 14th June 2014.

The jury found him guilty of the assault, but removed references to smashing a glass off of Mr Whitworth’s neck, causing serious injury and disfigurement.

The delivery of a sentence has been deferred until December and Mr Rundstrom has been subsequently released on bail.

Image courtesy of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Jim_Parsons#mediaviewer/File:Jim_Parsons_(The_Big_Bang_Theory)_3781567513.jpg