A THUG has been jailed after biting off a man’s finger in a Maldon pub brawl.

Matthew Knight, 25, had already been involved in two altercations with a group of rugby players before barging into the Ship and Anchor Pub on the High Street and biting his victim’s finger.

At Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday Knight, of Heywood Way, Heybridge was jailed for 18 months after admitting GBH and affray.

His pal Sami Jaber, 26, was handed a suspended prison term after admitting affray.

The court heard how the pair had an initial confrontation with the rugby players in the Queens Head, The Hythe, Maldon, on May 30 last year. A member of the group bumped into Knight in the pub who reacted aggressively.

The rugby group left shortly after to head to The Ship and Anchor pub, on the High Street, where Knight and Jaber already were.

Prosecutor, Emma Nash said: “Mr Knight recognised them and decided at that point matters were not best left alone.”

Punches were thrown by both groups and Knight and Jaber were ejected before deciding to return.

Miss Nash said: “They entered this time by the rear entrance and made their way towards the victim’s group and attacked them.

“During that altercation it is right to say that Mr Knight deliberately bit the finger of the victim.

“The finger was removed below the knuckle. It could not be saved.”

Matthew Morgan, representing Knight, said the impact of the bite was exacerbated by the victim pulling his hand away. Nick Bonehill, mitigating for Jaber, said the incident was “completely out of character” for his client, and highlighted how sorry he was.

Judge Emma Peters told the pair: “Sometimes people bump into each other and this can lead to altercations. That is when people should be sensible, show some maturity and walk away.

“There was this altercation in the first pub, it does not seem to me that you are solely culpable of it. As far as the affray is concerned, you are both culpable. You were then ejected. That is the time to leave and walk away and be sensible and realise that is the time to go home.

“But you both chose to go back in. As has already been said today, that was your big mistake. You then go to get involved in further violence.”

Addressing Knight, Judge Peters added: “You came to bite the victim’s finger so hard that he has lost the end permanently. This is a man who works, who plays rugby, and whose social life, working life and sporting life will be permanently marred by that loss.”

Knight was sentenced to 18 months in prison for GBH, and nine months for affray served concurrently. He was also ordered to pay £1,500 compensation to the victim, who was not named.

Judge Peters told Jaber: “It seems to me your big mistake was to go back to the pub. When you were ejected the second time, you had the good sense to stay outside.”

Jaber, of Viking Road, Maldon, was jailed for nine months, suspended for 18 months, ordered to do 160 hours of unpaid work, and told to pay costs of £1,000.