Man jailed for '˜brutal and prolonged attack'

Darren Scott (40), of Witherall Green, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and possession of offensive weapons, a bottle and kitchen knife.

Handing down a six-year determinant sentence divided equally between custody and licence, Judge Geoffrey Miller QC said that because of the seriousness of the offences he had found Scott posed a danger to the public.

The judge told the defendant that in an effort to protect the public from any “further serious harm by you’’, he was imposing an extended custodial sentence of three years.

Prosecution lawyer Philip Henry told Belfast Crown Court that the victim in the case had been drinking heavily last November when he met the defendant in a bar.

He said the injured party went back to his house with Scott where they consumed more alcohol and drugs.

The lawyer said that in the early hours, Scott attacked his victim with a “bottle to the head and with a knife, stamped on his head and punched him as he lay on the ground”.

Police attended the house at 8.30am after receiving a 999 call made by Scott, who told the call handler that the injured party was “calling for help and begging for his life”.

When officers arrived they found the defendant standing over the injured party and he “attempted to further stamp on the injured party on the ground”.

Scott told police: “I would have cut his throat. He knew what it was for...the torture chamber.’

At police interview, Scott made further admissions, stating: “If the police hadn’t arrived I was starting to think I am going to be on a murder charge here. If you hadn’t arrived I would have cut his ears off too.”

Mr Henry said Scot told a probation officer that “when released his intention was to kill the injured party”.

Defence QC Terry McDonald said Scott was trying to address addiction issues.