A St George’s man who slapped his friend has been fined $2,000.

Aaron Crockwell, 31, of Estates Road, pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawful wounding after he split open Jacal Minors’ lower lip.

The incident happened around 10.30pm on May 29, during a game of cards at the St David’s Cricket Club.

In Magistrates’ Court this morning, prosecutor Maria Sofianos said that Mr Minors was called “a momma’s boy” by the St David’s Cricket Club bar chairman, at which point Crockwell stood up from the card table and struck Mr Minors with an open hand.

Mr Minors drove himself to the Urgent Care Centre in St David’s where he received three stitches to the wound.

Crockwell was also charged with using threatening words against Mr Minors, but that charge was dropped after Crockwell denied the offence.

Crockwell told Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner: “It should have never gotten to this.”

Crockwell said he was still friends with Mr Minors, although they had had previous altercations.