By Michael MacLeod
A NIGHTCLUBBER who bit a teenage student’s nose for accidentally spilling his drink has been jailed for 20 months.
The tip of 18 year-old Allan Campbell’s nose was left hanging off after Jai Whyte, 21, gnawed his bottom teeth three centimetres upwards into his face.
Whyte then gripped Campbell’s nose for “several seconds, leaving it flapped outwards” Edinburgh Sheriff Court was told.
Doctors feared Campbell’s gruesome injury would cause breathing problems and kept him in hospital for close examination.
Whyte, 21, was arrested and claimed he did it “to prevent anything else happening” after a head-to-head stand off with Campbell.
But with previous convictions for assault to severe injury, Sheriff Michael O’Grady QC told Whyte he “takes to violence very easily” and sent him to prison.
The pair clashed close to the dancefloor at a student club night in Edinburgh’s Picture House on 2 April.
Campbell had been dancing with friends when he made his way towards the bar and accidentally bumped into Whyte.
Fiscal depute Ruth Ross-Davie said: “This caused Whyte’s drink to spill and his anger at this sparked off the incident.
“He then bit the nose of Mr Campbell for several seconds before he released his grip, leaving it flapped outwards.
“Mr Campbell felt his nose had been partially severed and it was bleeding profusely.”
Nightclub stewards helped Campbell to get medical help, while police arrived quickly and arrested Whyte.
Sheriff O’Grady asked for pictures of the injury, but was told Crown prosecutors had none.
Mrs Ross-Davie said: “He suffered a full-thickness three centimetre laceration to the base of the tip of his nose.
“Once at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, investigations were carried out to ensure there were no problems with his breathing.
“Doctors said that due to the location of the cut, it will heal itself without stitches but leave a permanent scar.”
Whyte, whose address was given as HMP Edinburgh, pled guilty to assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement on appearing from custody yesterday.
His defence agent John Slaven said the 21 year-old had lost his job and flat as a result of being held on remand since 3 April
He said: “Mr Whyte had been out socially and in the course of the evening was heavily barged into.
“Mr Campbell’s face came into Mr Whyte’s face, similar to the way footballers do after a tackle, forehead to forehead.
“But Mr Campbell is slightly taller than Mr Whyte and he pushed his head backwards so the nose was right in front of him.
“To prevent anything else from happening, the offence then took place.
“It is not a defence and he regrets his behaviour.”
Sheriff O’Grady told Whyte: “This was a very nasty attack whatever the circumstances.
“The nature of the attack is concerning, but it is doubly concerning when I see your previous conviction was also for assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement.
“It seems to me you are a young man who takes to violence very easily.”
