Man jailed for biting off finger in late-night Shrewsbury fight

Passer-by Robert Jenner, who tried to break up the scuffle, ended up with a disfigured hand when he was assaulted by Jason Butter in Shrewsbury town centre.

The court heard that doctors were unable to attach the top of the victim’s index finger which had come off during the incident in December 2016.

Mr Jenner was left struggling to write and carry out everyday tasks as a result of the injury and more of his finger was removed during surgery, the court heard.

Work party

Mr Kevin Jones, prosecuting barrister, told the court that trouble flared at a nightspot after Butter, 31, turned up at his girlfriend’s work party wearing a tracksuit, despite being told that partners were not invited.

The court heard that Butter’s presence upset the party guests, that “tensions were still running high” as they left and “insulting” words were exchanged.

Mr Jones said: “There was a scuffle and a number of people assisted to break it up. Robert Jenner was among them. He doesn’t know how, but his finger found its way inside the mouth of the defendant.

"They were on the floor and the parties were separated.

“The police attended and the defendant was arrested, telling the police that he was the victim of an assault.

"Mr Jenner told them the end of the top of his finger had been bitten off."

Guilty plea

Butter, of Maer Lane, Market Drayton, pleaded guilty to an offence of wounding Mr Jenner and an offence of assaulting a female at a previous hearing.

Mr Paul Smith, mitigating barrister, said: “The defendant just doesn’t know how it happened, but it must have happened because the finger was in his hand.

"When the CCTV was viewed it was plain that that at one point there was a cluster of people around him and some punches were seen.

“He extricated himself in a controlled way. I accept there are unanswered questions has to how the finger came to be bitten off. He has no recollection of doing that in the melee because it wasn’t that kind of circumstance.”

Mr Smith said since the incident the defendant had worked hard to turn his life around, including completing a two-year suspended term for possession of cocaine in 2015. By carrying out the latest attack he breached that order.

Judge Anthony Lowe told him: "In my judgement the starting point of three years has to be increased having regard to your previous convictions for violence even though there is a sizeable gap in time."

For wounding he was jailed for two years and 11 months and for common assault he was jailed for three months to run concurrently.

For breach of the suspended sentence order he was jailed for three months to run consecutively.

He must serve half of the sentence before being released on licence.