Elias Campbell Benyoucef (22), of Wellington Road, St Saviour, carried out the attack at the ‘Out There’ Dance Festival at Val de la Mare reservoir on 7 July.
The court heard that the defendant was angry as the victim had not repaid £180 he lent him when they were both doing community service work, having been sentenced by the court for previous offences.
Police legal adviser Advocate Carla Carvalho said that at about 9.45 pm on Saturday 7 July a nurse reported to the police that a man had been taken to the Accident and Emergency department, saying he had sustained injuries as a result of an assault. This led to the defendant being arrested at the festival at about 10.10 pm.
She said that the pair were friends and the defendant confronted the other man about the £180 debt. The court was told that the defendant punched the victim in the face, knocking out one of his teeth.
In response, the victim put the defendant in a headlock and,while his head was near the victim’s body, Benyoucef bit the other man.
When questioned by the police, Benyoucef said that the victim punched him first on the side of the head. He also denied the biting and, as a result, expert forensic dental investigations were carried out which determined beyond reasonable doubt that the injuries were sustained from bites.
Advocate James Bell, defending, submitted that the defendant was provoked and made his guilty plea on the basis that he had been assaulted first. He further submitted that the bite had not broken the surface of the skin. He pointed out that the defendant had kept out of trouble since July and had been working full-time for a plastering company.
In sentencing Benyoucef for grave and criminal assault, Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris pointed out that the defendant had previous convictions for similar offences but accepted that there was provocation in this instance.
He warned Benyoucef that it was not a ‘smart move’ to lend money to someone on a community service order and added: ‘What you did caused a horrendous injury.’
