A drink-fuelled guest at an 18th birthday party who became “enraged like the Hulk” and attacked several members of one family, leaving relationships “torn”, has been jailed.

Jason Howe lashed out at as many as five people during the celebrations - but was heard to mutter “10 years for one punch” as he was led to a court cell at the conclusion of his sentencing hearing on Friday (October 24).

Jurors at his trial had heard how the 31-year-old threw numerous punches as well as a gin glass in the fracas at a private address in Newington High Street on June 29 last year.

One partygoer had tried to act as peacemaker, only to be left unconscious on the ground with a brain injury, while his son suffered a gash to his head.

Others hit that night by the gym receptionist included his boyfriend’s father and a woman as she rang for an ambulance, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

Howe, of Nelson Road, Gillingham, later argued that the alleged violence had not happened, been exaggerated or occurred in self-defence.

However, he was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Heath Bryant, wounding his son Matthew Bryant with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault by beating and battery in respect of Justin Bryant, one of assault causing actual bodily harm to Matthew Morsley, and one of affray.

By the time of the family get-together, Howe, who has previous convictions for robbery and violence - many committed while behind bars - had only been out of prison for 11 months having served a 12-year sentence in full and imposed for rape in 2011.

His sentencing hearing was also told that, despite claiming his alcohol consumption that night had been limited, he has since revealed he downed nine beers, numerous cocktails and brandy.

Prosecutor Dan Santos-Costa told the court the violent outburst at the party being held for the sister of Howe’s partner left guests “terrified”.

Many had not met him before that evening, including Mr Morsley whose encounter with Howe as he went to leave at around 10.30pm “evolved into a series of completely unprovoked assaults”, it was said.

Some resulted in “very serious injury”, said Mr Santos-Costa, with Howe described as being “angry, effing and blinding, and throwing his arms.”

“It is clear from the 999 calls and testimonies of the witnesses that those at the party were terrified of Mr Howe and his behaviour,” added the prosecutor.

Trouble flared after he “took umbrage” at Mr Morsley having not said goodbye and so called out to him with “Oi” and “Oi you”, jurors heard.

But Howe’s reaction to being told by the guest to use his name was to threaten to bite off his ear before punching him twice and knocking him backwards onto a sofa.

Mr Morsley, whose children were present, told the jury Howe then erupted "like the Hulk".

“He just completely changed. He was calm and then went from zero to 100 in a matter of seconds,” the dad said.

“It was just like watching Hulk, him getting angry. He was trying to stop people touching him.

“It was like he had gone into a rage and everyone was trying to calm him down and he wanted everyone to leave him alone.”

As the commotion escalated, host Justin Bryant - father of the birthday girl and Howe’s boyfriend - was punched twice while their uncle, Heath, who had tried to calm Howe down, was struck once in the face, causing him to fall “like a log” to the ground.

It was as Heath’s son Matthew was tending to him that Howe picked up a glass from a table and threw it.

Giving evidence, Matthew Bryant described how his attacker had seemed “a really nice person” when he was introduced that evening.

But describing the moment his dad was punched, he told the jury: “He went stiff and fell backwards. He was knocked out unconscious. He hit the back of his head after he fell.

“I felt scared. It’s scary seeing someone you look up to get knocked out. It’s not nice. I was hoping he wasn’t dead.”

It was while monitoring his dad’s breathing as he lay in the recovery position that he was hit to the left side of his forehead by the glass, causing a 3cm laceration.

Heath Bryant’s wife, Clare, told the jury Howe had punched her husband “as hard as he could”.

As well as suffering a significant head injury, Mr Bryant also sustained a detached retina which required surgery, and was later diagnosed with post-trauma concussion.

In their victim impact statements, they spoke of the consequences Howe’s actions had had both physically and psychologically.

Mr Bryant also revealed that Justin and his wife, Kirsty Bryant - who did not support the prosecution - had not spoken to him since that night.

“This upsets me because I haven’t done anything wrong,” he added. “I feel Jason has torn a big, gaping hole in my family.”

Clare Bryant wrote: “We are just a normal family that went to a party and were viciously attacked for no reason whatsoever.

“I don’t believe anything will be the same again for any of us.”

The numerous 999 calls made that night demonstrated “the genuine fear” felt by partygoers, said the prosecutor.

Howe eventually fled the house, but not before he had been captured on a neighbour’s Ring doorbell confronting one such caller - Shana Coveney - and slapping her in the face.

Having handed himself in to police 16 days later and been charged, Howe subsequently admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Ms Coveney before his trial started in August this year.

But he claimed in court that much of what had been said by witnesses was "exaggeration and overblown", with the family trying to "cover and minimise" their behaviour.

Although he accepted he had threatened to bite off Mr Morsley's ear because he felt "embarrassed and patronised like a child", he said he only punched him once, and in the belief he would be hit.

He said it then "all went mad" with people shouting, screaming, "herding and pushing" him around and pulling at his shirt.

Describing the commotion as "drink-fuelled stupidness" in which he became the focus of “everyone’s aggression”, Howe denied being “on a rampage”.

Of the attack on Heath Bryant, Howe said he hit him with a “very quick, sharp jab” because he thought he was about to be punched.

He then ​claimed he ​"recklessly" hit Matthew Bryant with the glass after throwing it in "pure frustration" at the ground​.

But having revealed a childhood afflicted by violence and explaining to the jury how life behind bars “worked”, he said that despite understanding his partner’s family home was not the same as a prison environment, he “couldn’t switch a switch or chop and change” - a remark the judge later described as “chilling” for jurors to hear.

Howe faced a total of nine charges at trial and was cleared of ​a​ second assault on Matthew Bryant a​s well as ones on Clare Bryant and Kirsty Bryant.

In respect of further offences of criminal damage and failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements, formal not guilty verdicts were entered on the court file after the prosecution offered no evidence.

Those who attended proceedings in support and wrote character references included his mum, partner and other Bryant family members.

Explaining that having to serve ​all 12​ year​s of his rape sentence meant Howe was released without the usual probation service assistance provided to those on licence, his lawyer Dominic Benthall said steps had been taken by the defendant to turn his life around by finding “stability and structure” through his employment and relationship.

But highlighting how a traumatic upbringing combined with being in a custodial environment for so long had “normalised” violence, he argued that a further lengthy jail term would “set him back drastically”.

Telling the court Howe had “never intended” events to pan out as they had that night, Mr Benthall said: “There is another side to Mr Howe which was on display for 11 months until this party when, for whatever reason, he let himself down and which had a serious result for a number of people.

“He was undergoing a constant period of adjustment, coming to terms with the outside, and it was going quite well until this party.

“He had never been to a nightclub, very rarely been to a pub, and found himself at this family party which was outside the scope of his experience.

“And when somebody said something amiss to him, he dealt with it in what he has to accept was a very poor way.

“But it was the way in which he was conditioned to do so. After 12 years in prison, one’s mentality becomes very different - flipped on its head to a certain extent.

“I don’t believe anything will be the same again for any of us.”

“Slights that can be passed off, laughed off or walked away from are not so easily shirked off or rationalised in prison.

“For whatever reason, he felt disrespected by Mr Morsley that night, and Your Honour knows the rest.”

On passing a 10-year extended sentence, Recorder Vivian Walters highlighted positive aspects of Howe's character, describing him as an “articulate and intelligent” man who had demonstrated insight into his offending, “entirely genuine” remorse and a desire to address his behaviour.

But she said he was, by his own admission, someone “conditioned to react with violence” whenever he saw a threat, and had “lost his temper and self-control” that night, resulting in an “unprovoked and brutal” attack over a “trivial matter”.

In respect of the character references as well as his own "eloquently written" letter, Recorder Walters continued: "They paint what is clearly a desperately sad picture of somebody who has spent the majority of adult life in a custodial environment and who is trying to return to society with limited [agency] support.

"But that does not excuse your behaviour. It may give some explanation as to how it occurred but it is totally unacceptable whether in custody or outside.”

The extended sentence comprises a seven-year jail term, of which Howe will have to serve ​two-thirds​ ​before he can apply for parole, and a three-year additional licence period.

He was also made subject to a 15-year restraining order.