Derry nose biter sent to prison for 3 years

A 30-year-old Derryman was sentenced to three years in prison for attacking a man and biting his nose in what the Judge described as an ‘absolutely disgusting attack.’
Declan Harry Jennings of 136a Canterbury Park, Derry admitted carrying out the attack on December 22 2008.
The court had been told the injured party, who had been a friend of Jennings’ for 25 years, received text messages of a sexual nature on December 18 and 20.
These messages were described as being in the form of ‘juvenile banter’ but the injured party found them ‘distasteful’.
Later both men met in a chance encounter and words were exchanged and a fight broke out.
In the course of the fight the Jennings bit the injured party on the nose and the man sustained a broken leg although it was accepted that this had not occurred as a result of any blow.
The man had to receive 8 stitches to his nose and also had a black eye and abrasions to both cheeks.
In passing sentence Judge Piers Grant said that Jennings had displayed ‘animalistic behaviour’ and sent Jennings to prison for three years followed by 18 months probation.
He was also ordered not to go within 100 metres of the injured party or within 200 metres of the man’s home for a two year period after the end of his sentence.