A THUG who tried to chop off a man's fingers and threatened to cut out his tongue during a “prolonged and vicious” attack has been jailed.

Paul Berry, 36, detained and assaulted George Lindsay and subjected him to a terrifying ordeal at a flat in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, on September 1 2022. 

The High Court in Glasgow heard how during the ordeal Berry punched and kicked the victim, struck him with knives, burned him with cigarettes and pinned his hand to the floor as he tried to sever fingers.

At an earlier hearing, Judge Lord Fairley ordered for a full risk assessment to be carried out on Berry which could have led to him having an order for lifelong restriction imposed on him. 

This is an effective life sentence and people who receive it are only released once the parole board consider them to no longer pose a risk to public safety. 

However, on Monday, Berry reappeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Lord Fairley told him he was persuaded by a risk assessor not to impose an order for lifelong restriction on him. 

Jailing Berry for eight years, Lord Fairley told Berry: “I am persuaded - but only just that an order for lifelong restriction is not appropriate in this case.”

Berry had admitted at an earlier hearing to detaining and assaulting George Lindsay to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and impairment at a flat in Rutherglen, in South Lanarkshire, on September 1 last year.

The court heard that Berry was at a flat in Skye Road with his older brother Richard, 40, when the victim was invited in.

But after spending time together a row broke out which turned violent. Both brothers started punching and kicking the victim.

Prosecutor Louise Beattie said the younger brother stripped the victim of his clothes and he was forced onto the floor and his legs and feet were tied with yellow rope.

She said: "The assault was continued by Paul Berry for what George Lindsay estimated to be an hour. Paul Berry told him he could not leave and gave no explanation for the prolonged assault."

Lit cigarettes were used to burn the victim on the face and body and he was repeatedly struck on the body and limbs with a knife.

The prosecutor said: "Paul Berry then used the knife to attempt to sever Mr Lindsay's pinkie and middle finger of his left hand."

The injured man was eventually put in a shower and told to get washed. 

"He was told not to tell anyone of the incident. Paul Berry threatened to cut his tongue out to prevent him giving him a statement," said the advocate depute.

But police were alerted and arrived to find the brothers and victim still at the property, with blood-stained clothes and shoes in a washing machine.

Mr Lindsay had 48 stitches and 23 staples inserted to injuries sustained in the ordeal.

The older brother earlier admitted a restricted assault charge of kicking and punching the victim, which did not involve the use of weapons on the victim. He was jailed for 30 months in November 2023 .   

On Monday, defence solicitor advocate Iain McSporran KC told Lord Fairley that his client had understood the implications of his offending. 

He added: “He is entirely realistic. He knows that he has to be punished.”

Lord Fairley also ordered Berry to be supervised by the authorities for five years following his release from custody. 

He added: “This was a prolonged and vicious assault.”