Man jailed after chopping into victim's arm
A man who emerged from the shadows of a pub car park to deliver a blow with a sword or axe on his victim's arm was sentenced to seven years in jail on Monday.
Dean Spencer, of George Street in Berkhamsted, cut John Fisher's left arm so deeply that three muscles were severed.
The lower bone was chipped and he thought he would lose the arm, St Albans crown court heard.
Mr Fisher had been lured out into the car park of The Bell pub in Tring by Adam Carmichael, who had been his sister's partner.
Carmichael, 26, was upset over the problems he was having seeing their child.
Carmichael, who was jailed for 30 months at an earlier hearing, kept Mr Fisher talking until 30-year-old Spencer appeared and carried out the attack.
The weapon has never been found.
Spencer appeared for sentence having been convicted of wounding with intent on the night of November 19 2008.
He had also pleaded guilty to possessing a Samurai sword on 17 August last year, whilst on bail for the wounding.
Prosecutor Isabel Delamere said Spencer was involved in a row over a 10 debt for some broken garden shears.
In what was described as a "grossly disproportionate reaction" he went to a house in North Road, Berkhamsted armed with the sword.
An eight year old child was playing outside in the garden as he banged on the porch. He also hit the bedroom window with the sword saying: "I know you are there."
When the woman inside said she would call the police, he retorted: "That's the last thing you will do" before driving off at high speed.
Defence barrister Daniel O'Malley said since the two events when Spencer had "lost his way" he had a new partner. He said his client had been using cocaine at the time, but since being on remand had tested negative for drugs.
He said Spencer "bitterly regretted" what had happened to Mr Fisher and expressed profound regret.
Judge Marie Catterson said Spencer had used "unpredictable and unexplainable violence."
She told him: "I am driven to the conclusion there is a significant risk of harm to the public from you in the future and an appreciably significant one now".
She passed an extended sentence, which means Spencer will be on licence on his release for five years after the end of the seven year sentence.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Tring
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -4 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South east
