Shaun Jones, who has a lengthy record of violence, was drunk and high on cocaine at the time. His defence said he was ‘frightened of custody’
A far-right thug bit off a man’s ear – after being confronted for gate-crashing an 18th birthday party buffet and helping himself to food.
Shaun Jones, 35, who has links to nationalist protest group ‘North West Infidels’, has been jailed for four years for the attack.
A Manchester Crown Court sentencing hearing was told he turned violent after he and his twin brother were told they couldn’t have any more sandwiches.
Trouble flared in the Royal Oak pub, at Barton Road, Eccles , after Shaun Jones’ twin, Daniel, went into a side room where food had been prepared for party guests.
After Daniel was spotted pinching food for himself and his brother, the host’s brother told them: “Touch those f***ing sandwiches again and I’ll smash your face in.”
The pair ignored him and went back and helped themselves to more nibbles.
A 62-year-old man, who was the event’s ‘official photographer’ then challenged Daniel, telling him: “It’s for a birthday, you shouldn’t be nicking the buffet.”
Daniel reported this to Shaun, who the court heard is the bigger of the pair and has a lengthy record for violence.
Drunk and high on cocaine, Shaun reacted by thumping the 62-year-old man in the head.
As the victim lay on the floor, Daniel punched him about the head and kicked him repeatedly in the backside.
When the victim got to his feet, still holding his pint, Shaun Jones gripped him in a bear hug and bit down on his right ear.
The attack left the victim’s ear ‘hanging by a thread’, prosecutor Rob Hall said.
At the time of the brutal assault, Shaun Jones was subject to a conditional discharge after shrieking racist abuse at locals at a protest against a mosque development in Bolton staged by North West Infidels.
He was also subject to a suspended sentence for beating his wife, was on bail for another offence of violence, and was due to appear at the magistrates three days afterwards.
Shaun Jones of Cromwell Road, Eccles, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent following the pub row at 9pm on May 30 last year.
His sentencing hearing was told his lengthy history of violence includes drunken and abusive offending, attacks on his wife, a police custody officer, and a pub landlord.
Bob Elias, defending, said Shaun Jones ran a successful removals business and was supported by his ‘long-suffering wife’ – with whom he enjoyed a holiday in Egypt shortly before being locked up.
“It was his brother filching food, he joins in stupidly”, Mr Elias added.
“He is frightened by what he did and the lack of control, his wife is frightened too, she knows how things can be when he’s drunk.
“He’s had an ultimatum from her, she is long-suffering, she has been abused by him in the past, but they are a couple and the most powerful influence over a rational human being is his partner.
“He’s not dangerous – he didn’t start this quarrel, he involved himself in his brother’s quarrel, and took matters into his own hands. He is in many ways a commendable hardworking man.
” He’s frightened of custody and the person he becomes when he’s drunk. It takes courage to realise you can be a Jekyll and Hyde character – that could cause the court to have a tincture of mercy.”
Daniel Jones, 35, of Anson Street, Eccles, admitted a public order offence for his part and was given a community order with unpaid work.
Defending the railway worker, who has previous convictions for drink driving and benefit fraud, Hunter Gray said: “His taking of the sandwich was not designed to be aggressive or provocative, it was only with the involvement of his brother who threw the first punch that the matter devolved into physical violence – but for that involvement it would have been no more than a scuffle at most.
“I suspect police would never have been involved at all had the matter ended there and then.”
The victim’s ear has since been repaired, although he suffers permanent scarring.
The court heard Shaun Jones breached his bail by using Facebook to apologise to the victim, who says his camera suffered £1000 of damage, but told court in a statement he had made peace with his attacker and did not wish to see him jailed.
Sending down Shaun Jones, Recorder Michael Duck QC said: “You were behaving on any interpretation in a pretty boorish fashion, you were seen to be taking food.
“(The victim) did his best to persuade you to try and desist. Anyone hearing the facts would be appalled – I’m told you have come to recognise the appalling havoc your use of alcohol has caused – this particular night was no exception.
“You know if you mix alcohol and cocaine you are potentially a very volatile man, you are physically a very big man, capable of causing considerable harm.”
Manchester Evening News
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