A thug locked up for glassing a friend at a party in a High Wycombe pub, just weeks after being spared jail for a nearly identical attack, had his sentence cut.

Francy McDonagh, of Prince Street, Newport, south Wales, struck Jason Stokes with the glass at the Beaconsfield Arms, Hughenden Road, in May 2016.

The 28-year-old admitted wounding with intent and was jailed for six years at Aylesbury Crown Court in December. His sentence was reduced to five years and eight months by judges sitting at the Court of Appeal in London on Thursday.

The court heard the attack happened at about 11.30pm on May 10 after McDonagh had spent the day drinking in the pub.

Mr Stokes had to be treated in hospital for cuts and bruises, including a gash in his forehead which needed stitches.

The incident came three months after McDonagh was spared jail for an earlier attack at another gathering in Leicester. On that occasion, in May 2015, he hit his cousin over the head with a glass.

He was given an 18-month suspended sentence, ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid community work, told to pay £750 compensation and handed a restraining order.

His lawyers argued that his sentence was too long, in light of good progress he had made while behind bars.

Mr Justice Spencer said his jail term should be cut, but only by a “modest” amount because he had ignored all warnings and committed an “identical” attack within months of his earlier sentence.

Sitting with Lord Justice Bean and Mr Justice Gilbart, the judge added: "What he singularly failed to do was to learn the lesson that he must not commit drunken violence in public places.

"Instead, only three months after receiving a suspended sentence, he did exactly the same thing again."