Family party thug is jailed

A man who broke his cousin’s nose by head-butting him at a family party has been jailed for 14 months.

Gerald McCullion, 33, of St Helier’s Road, South Shore, Blackpool, was also accused of biting off a large chunk of an uncle’s ear at the same party but was cleared at an earlier hearing.

McCullion’s cousin was celebrating his 21st birthday party at an address on Duke Street, Blackpool, last December when violence flared.

Not only was his cousin left with a broken nose, McCullion also assaulted another man by barging into him as he stormed out.

The defendant admitted offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and also common assault.

A sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court heard how he had been estranged from members of his family, but went along to the birthday party after it carried on from a pub.

When a row broke out between him and a relative, his cousin tried to act as a peacemaker but was attacked.

Rachel Woods, defending, told the hearing McCullion believed others had been acting aggressively towards him.

He claimed he had resorted to head-butting his cousin in order to get away from him.

But jailing him for 14 months, Judge Robert Altham told him he had effectively used his head as a weapon.

He said: “His intention was to try and persuade you the rest of the family had not set their face against you.

“He was trying to make peace between you and the rest of the family.

“Maybe he took hold of you, but your response was wholly unacceptable.”

Several weeks ago, McCullion was cleared of attacking his uncle by biting off part of his ear and causing a fractured jaw.

He told a jury he had not been involved and claimed he could not have done it because he was missing his upper front teeth.

Blackpool Gazette