A savage attack in a St Helier bar left a man permanently disfigured after one of his assailants bit off part of his ear and threatened to “bite his f***** nose off”, the Royal Court heard today as the two perpetrators were jailed.
Daniel Martyn Neville Howe (37) and Brett Gill (40), both from Sheffield and in Jersey for work, were sentenced to a combined five years in prison for what was described as an “appalling act of violence” at St James’s Wine Bar on 30 November last year.
The victim was set upon after a brief altercation on the dancefloor.
CCTV showed that after a minor push, the victim threw his drink over Gill, who retaliated by throwing his own glass and its contents back at him. Howe then grabbed the victim from behind and began punching him, while a third man, Kyle Clark, also threw a punch.
As the fight escalated, the victim was tripped and taken to the floor. Gill pulled him down, giving Howe the opportunity to get on top of him and bite his ear.
In his police statement, the victim recalled feeling one man hitting him while another “chewed” on his ear, but said he was too “confused and dazed” to react. He only realised part of his ear had been bitten off after being told by a friend outside the bar.
Even after bouncers ejected the men, the violence continued outside. A witness reported hearing one of the attackers repeatedly shout: “I’m gonna bite his f***** nose off.”*
Ear found on dancefloor
When officers arrived, PC Willis was approached by the victim, who said: “Some guy’s just bitten my ear off.
“I don’t know what happened, I don’t understand.”
A search of the bar led to a grim discovery – another officer found part of the victim’s ear on the dancefloor and recovered it in a plastic bag.
Surgeons attempted to reattach it in a two-and-a-half-hour operation, but the severed tissue failed to reconnect to the blood supply.
The victim has been left with “significant cosmetic deformity and permanent disability”, and may require reconstructive surgery, the court heard.
He also suffered damage to his lip, eye, forehead, face and hand, and had to have Hepatitis B and tetanus vaccinations and take antibiotics for two weeks.
“I’ve been at work”
Howe and Gill, who were on the island for work and staying at the Premier Inn on Bath Street, were arrested in the early hours of the morning.
Police found Howe in his hotel room, where he had changed clothes and tried to claim he had been “at work” all night.
Blood-stained bedding and his original outfit were seized.
CCTV from the hotel’s lift lobby later showed him reenacting the moment he bit the victim’s ear and spat it out.
Gill was arrested later that evening in the hotel bar, where he handed over his hidden clothes, reportedly saying: “I’m not going to mess you about.”
While in police custody, Howe was overheard on the phone saying to his sister: “I will get a couple of years for this.”
The third suspect, Kyle Clark, who had been working on the island for several months, failed to appear at court in January and has since fled Jersey. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
“Gruesome” but “not a premeditated attack”
Crown Advocate Lauren Hallam, prosecuting, described the attack as “an appalling act of violence in a public space which resulted in permanent disfigurement.”
She noted that both men had significant previous convictions for violent offences in the UK – Howe had 11, including actual bodily harm, while Gill had 34, ranging from battery to grievous bodily harm.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to grave and criminal assault at the earliest opportunity.
Defending Howe, Advocate Stephen Wauchope admitted the incident was “gruesome” but argued it was “not a premeditated attack”.
He added: “Mr Howe is extremely remorseful. He is very saddened by the failure of the operation to reattach the victim’s ear.”
Advocate Allana Binnie, representing Gill, argued that her client deserved a shorter sentence, saying: “He was not directly responsible for the more serious injury.”
However, the court sentenced Howe to three years in prison and Gill to two years.
Police and bar staff working together
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hafey issued a stern warning following the sentencing, emphasising that violent behaviour within licensed premises will not be tolerated.
“The police, supported by licensed premises staff, will work together to ensure that those who commit such crimes are held to account,” commented DCI Mark Hafey.
“We, along with partners, are committed to maintaining a safe environment for everyone and will take all necessary measures to prevent and address violent behaviour.”
A spokesperson for the police said officers “urge everyone to drink responsibly and to be aware of the potential consequences of their actions”.