He also punched his girlfriend and kicked her dog, the court heard
A late-night “petty” argument between two brothers turned violent when one of them was left with part of a finger hanging off and “dangling by the skin” – meaning it later needed to be partly amputated. Cocaine user Conna Duffield deliberately goaded his brother by “being an idiot” and revving up a motorcycle at 11pm – with the aim of provoking a reaction.
The brother picked up a scooter and swung it but Duffield suddenly grabbed hold of it and pushed it downwards, causing the serious finger injury, Hull Crown Court heard. In a separate confrontation, Duffield attacked his girlfriend – and her dog – while foaming at the mouth through anger and he told her: “I’m going to end up killing you one day.”
Duffield, 24, of Ellerburn Avenue, north Hull, admitted wounding his brother on December 10 and assaulting his girlfriend, causing actual bodily harm, on November 23. Oliver Shipley, prosecuting, said that there was a petty argument between Duffield and his brother, involving Duffield leaving and returning with a motorcycle.
At 11pm, Duffield was outside the house and started revving up the motorcycle to provoke a reaction from his brother. “He achieved a reaction,” said Mr Shipley. The brother went out to speak to Duffield, who went inside and came back outside holding an item in his hand.
The brother grabbed hold of a metal scooter and swung it at Duffield to pre-empt any assault. “There was a stand-off between the two,” said Mr Shipley. The brother believed that Duffield had something in his hand and he swung the scooter at him one more time.
“They were both in a stand-off in fear of each other,” said Mr Shipley. There was a very loud noise nearby, which distracted the brother, and Duffield took the opportunity to pick up the scooter and push it downwards towards his brother’s head.
“The brother placed his hand in front of his face to block it,” said Mr Shipley. “When he opened his eyes, he noticed an injury to his finger.” Part of it was hanging off and “dangling by the skin” and it needed to be amputated at the lower knuckle by surgery.
Duffield laughed: “Ha, ha, serves you right, mate.” The brother later said: “I am upset it was my little brother. It has greatly upset me and it will now affect my life. My life will never be the same.
“I lost a finger on my writing hand. I can’t get over that my body has been disfigured. For it to cut through bone just shows the force used to make the impact.”
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The assault offence happened after Duffield went to the home of his girlfriend. They had been in a seven-year relationship. The woman asked him to go to her home to discuss their relationship.
She believed that he was under the influence of cocaine. He received a call from another woman asking where he was. He told his girlfriend: “I’m sick of all this s**t. I’m never going to be getting back with you.”
He was foaming at the mouth with anger and walked straight towards her and grabbed her by her dressing gown, causing the back of her head to bang against a fence.
“While standing above her, he punched her several times to the face and also kicked her dog, which was nearby, and threw a wheelbarrow at it,” said Mr Shipley. “She was pushed against a blue bin and ended up on the floor while screaming for the defendant to get off. He sat on top of her chest with his right knee in her neck, restricting her breathing.
“She was screaming for him to get off. He pressed his knee harder into her neck while she was gasping for breath and he was shouting: ‘I’m going to end up killing you one day’.
“She clawed at his face and neck to get him off.” Duffield had convictions for five previous offences dating back to 2021, including assault with intent to resist arrest.
David Godfrey, mitigating, said that much of Duffield’s offending was rooted in drugs. “Cocaine use has been a real problem for him,” said Mr Godfrey. “He is abstaining from that currently.
“He needs to stop taking cocaine, which he has been doing. He is motivated to put in the work and be a positive role model for his daughter.”
Judge Mark Bury said that the argument with Duffield’s brother was caused by him “being an idiot” and revving a motorcycle up at night. “You ended up throwing a scooter at him,” said Judge Bury. “You were aiming for his head. He covered his head and ended up with a cut of his finger, which left him with the tip of his finger amputated.”
Duffield was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, six months’ drug rehabilitation and 20 days’ rehabilitation.