Man is jailed for biting off woman’s finger in Harpenden pub

A Harpenden man who bit off a woman’s finger has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

Patrick O’Malley, 37, of Northfield Road was involved in a fight that broke out at the Gibraltar Castle pub in Lower Luton Road, Harpenden, on December 15 last year.

During the fight, a 59-year-old woman from Harpenden was hit on the head with a glass before another altercation broke out outside. It was there that O’Malley bit off the finger of a 45-year-old woman.

On Friday, O’Malley was sentenced to four and a half years imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court for assault and an ABH offence which related to a 63-year-old man who lost a front tooth and suffered a cut to his head during the initial fight. He was convicted on both charges in November.

Also in the dock was Anoushka Harrison, also of Northfield Road, who was found guilty of the same offence and an ABH assault in relation to the 59-year-old woman who suffered a cut to her head

She was given a two year sentence, suspended for two years, and was put under curfew.

Det Con Paul Cullinan, who investigated the case, said: “This was a serious incident in which a number of people were injured whilst simply trying to enjoy a night out.

“Patrick O’Malley in particular inflicted horrendous injuries on one of the people who will have to live with that injury for the rest of her life.”