Joshua Nolan, 22, of Green Lane in South Shields, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment at Liverpool Crown Court on Wednesday after a drunken assault at The Stork Hotel in Birkenhead on July 20 this year.
Nolan, captured on CCTV inside the pub, became increasingly drunk and agitated. He threw a brick at the pub, smashing an expensive ornate window, and when people tried to calm him down, he bit a man on the nose and another on the ring finger.
Court hears of 'nasty and unpleasant' injuries
Iain Criddle, prosecuting, told the court the assaults were "a nasty and unpleasant way of inflicting an injury on someone". Judge Brian Cummings KC described Nolan's behaviour as "a disgusting and unsanitary act".
The court heard Nolan was drinking alone and became more boisterous as he consumed more drinks. Christopher Matthews tried to calm him down, but Nolan took hold of his head, pulled it towards him and bit him on the nose. Matthews received a red and swollen nose and had to go to hospital for Hepatitis B injections.
When Ian Moore tried to detain Nolan as he fell to the floor, Nolan bit down on Moore's ring finger and did not let go. Moore described the intense pain.
Police officer spat on and pub loses regulars
Merseyside Police were called and Nolan was eventually detained with PAVA incapacitant spray. However, he then spat "saliva, blood and the remains of the PAVA spray" into the face of PC Sanderson.
Joanne Ireland, landlady at The Stork Hotel, told the court Nolan's actions had a "serious impact on her business". The smashed window, which was expensive and rare, cost over £1,100 plus VAT to repair. Ireland said Nolan had "affected the confidence of customers and given the pub an unwarranted bad name" and that she had lost regulars as a result.
Previous convictions and suspended sentence activated
The court heard Nolan had 17 previous convictions for 29 offences, including criminal damage, assault, and affray. He was subject to a suspended sentence order at the time of the pub offences.
In mitigation, Sam Faulks, for Nolan, said: "He is pretty appalled by his behaviour and wants me to apologise for that. When sober he recognises it is appalling, but when in drink he can't stop himself." Faulks said Nolan had completed 19 rehabilitation days instead of the required 15 under his suspended sentence.
Faulks added: "His behaviour in Birkenhead was that of a thug. Nonetheless, there is a wholly different side to his character and a sentence could recognise that and not snub out any hope and aspirations he has for the future."
Judge Cummings KC told Nolan: "I accept there is a better side to you. You like to work, that is an attractive factor…I accept you are not a lost cause."
Nolan, appearing from HMP Altcourse, was sentenced to two years' imprisonment: 16 months for the pub offences and a further eight months activated from the "failed" suspended sentence.
