Belfast man given eight years for ‘savage’ bottle attack on couple in their own home

A BELFAST man was yesterday handed an eight-year prison sentence for a “savage” bottle attack on a couple in their home.

Stephen Ewing (39), of no fixed address, was told by a judge that he had left one of his victims with “significant and life changing” facial injuries after being repeatedly stabbed with a broken bottle.

Judge Neil Rafferty QC urged Ewing to “seek help for your alcohol and substance abuse” while in prison and not to leave it until after his release from custody.

Ewing had pleaded guilty to charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, common assault and grievous bodily harm with intent.

Belfast Crown Court heard the offences were committed in July 2018 when Ewing went with his wife to the home of a couple after he had been out drinking.

He was said to have taken offence to music the couple were playing, including a song entitled ‘You Can Do Better’, which he took as a reference to his wife.

Ewing first attacked the male, striking him on the head from behind with a red wine bottle.

The victim needed 45 staples and sutures for injuries to his face and scalp.

A prosecution lawyer said Ewing then used a second wine bottle to attack the female, whom he held on the ground by her hair while stabbing her in the face with it. She sustained “significant” injuries and required stitches to her right ear, right nostril and left cheek, with damage also caused to her saliva gland.

The court heard Ewing had 90 previous convictions. However, the prosecution lawyer said the attack on the couple was a “serious escalation” in Ewing’s offending.

The Probation Service assessed Ewing as a “high risk of re-offending” but did not assess him as posing a danger to the public in the future.

But Judge Rafferty told the court that he was “satisfied” that Ewing “posed a significant risk of serious harm to public in the future. Not only is that likely, it is almost certain”.