Jailed: Thug left man needing metal plate in jaw after Shrewsbury attack
A man who broke a reveller's jaw in two places by punching him after asking to borrow his phone has been jailed for 18 months.
Liam Davies attacked Jamie Harvey on a night out in Shrewsbury after the latter made a comment to provoke him, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.
This week Davies admitted assaulting Mr Harvey, who he had known for seven or eight years, in the early hours of September 30 last year.
Prosecuting, Fiona Cortese said that Mr Harvey had been out in Shrewsbury on the night of September 29 and left the Fever nightclub in Hill's Lane soon after 2am the next morning.
He set off in the direction of a nearby taxi office and encountered Davies in conversation with homeless people.
The two struck up a conversation and Davies asked to use Mr Harvey's phone, to which Mr Harvey said he had no power.
He instead offered to accompany Davies to the taxi office and the two carried on.
'Out of nowhere'
Miss Cortese said: "When they arrived at the taxi office they encountered others. A male who passed was verbally abused by the defendant and the defendant then followed the male."
Davies and Mr Harvey became separated and Mr Harvey met his girlfriend, before Davies re-appeared.
Miss Cortese said: "The defendant began to follow Mr Harvey, not happy he had left him.
"Out of nowhere, this defendant punched Mr Harvey to the left side of his face. He didn't see it coming."
Davies punched him at least four times in total, the court heard. He dropped to the floor and sheltered his face but could already feel his jaw "flopping about".
At one point Davies apologised then asked Mr Harvey why he hadn't lent him the phone, Miss Cortese said.
Police arrived soon after and Davies ran off.
Stitches
In hospital, Mr Harvey was given 60 stitches and a metal plate in his jaw, and has been told there is a "good chance" he will never regain full sensation in the lower part of his jaw.
Davies, 22 and of Woodlea Avenue in Upton, Chester, has 19 previous convictions for 36 offences, including a racially-aggravated assault in July 2014 and battery in December of that year.
Representing Davies, Stephen Scully said that he lost his father two and a half years ago, had fallen into drug misuse and was homeless.
He also said that immediately before the attack a comment was made about Davies' deceased father.
Judge Jonathan Gosling said: "Liam, you have got a troubling record for a 22-year-old and really that is because you drink too much and get into fights.
"This is taking it to a completely different level. Something must have been said to you that must have caused you to behave like that.
"It was completely out of proportion. You hit him at least four times and he will probably never recover fully from what you did to him."
He sentenced Davies to a year and a half in prison for causing grievous bodily harm.
