A thug has been jailed for five years for viciously slashing a man’s face with a knife and leaving him disfigured.

Spencer Carty, 30, caused “horrific scars” to Nicholas Morris but a judge decided against imposing an indefinite sentence for public protection.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that the two men fell out over a financial arrangement. They were in a “partner scheme” but Mr Morris had failed to contribute.

Mr Morris told how he went to Carty’s home in Ernest Road, Chatham, on March 29, 2006, saying: “He seemed kind of irate and aggressive.”

After a while, Carty went upstairs and returned with two kitchen knives.

“He then grabbed hold of me by the scruff of my throat,” said Mr Morris. “He was saying: 'Where is the money?’ I was trying to explain about difficulties. He headbutted me in my teeth.”

Others were watching. One of them told Carty to stop.

“I tried to defend myself, putting my hands up,” said Mr Morris. “He totally overpowered me. He had a knife in each hand.

“He stretched across and sliced me across the face. I was bleeding. He then said: 'You are not going anywhere.’ I was in shock and I was hurt. He caught me twice with one knife.

“I pleaded with him I was going to hospital to get this stitched up and go to work. He phoned somebody and said: 'I have done it.’

“I got in my wife’s car and went straight to hospital. She saw my face. I had stitches the day after.”

Carty denied wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm but was convicted by a jury.

Judge James O’Mahony told Carty the jury found he deliberately used a knife to cause “the most horrific scars” to Mr Morris.

It was not clear what the dispute was about. “It was about money and that’s all that counts as far as sentence is concerned,” he said.

While the wound was nasty, it was not life-threatening.

“You know as well as I do this is a very serious matter,” said the judge. “This was use of a knife to cause serious injury by disfigurement.”

Judge O’Mahony said the five-year sentence would be concurrent to a 27-month term Carty was already serving.