A FATHER had his nose bitten off after allegedly being targeted in a knife and hammer attack at a Christmas party.

Victim Richard Sachaidac had just visited Santa with his 10-year-old daughter when he was attacked at a bistro in Teignmouth three weeks before Christmas.

The end of his nose was found on the floor by staff and despite being packed in frozen peas and taken with him to hospital, it was impossible to reattach it.

He was allegedly attacked by two men at the bar of the No 9 Bistro because he refused to pay a £1,000 drug debt run up by his son Liam.

Andrew Pile, aged 32, has gone on trial at Exeter Crown Court accused of trying to stab Mr Sachaidac and biting off the end of his nose.

Pile, of Mill Lane, Teignmouth, denies wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in the incident on December 3 last year.

Mr Paul Grumbar, prosecuting, said Mr Sachaidac started receiving messages from Pile the day before the attack demanding £1,000. A message was also left on a family member’s garage door telling him to call him.

He took his daughter on a Santa Experience train ride during which he received more calls from Pile about paying money, to which he replied that he did not owe anything and was not going to pay up.

Pile and another man named Dayle Rees went into the wine bar and told the owner they wanted £1,000 from Mr Sachaidac, but left before he arrived there in mid-afternoon.

Staff overheard Pile saying he had hired Rees at £75 an hour to be with him and described his manner as being very agitated.

Mr Grumbar said Mr Sachaidac was at the bar, next to the Christmas tree drinking a bottle of Pils, when the two men returned. Other customers included children aged five and 10.

He said Rees hit Mr Sachaidac with a hammer and Pile tried to stab him in the abdomen, but he stopped the blow by grabbing it, suffering cuts to his fingers.

He then lashed out with the bottle he was holding and the three men grappled and fell into the tree before he felt a sharp pain to his nose.

Mr Grumbar said: ’The piece of nose was picked up and retrieved and put in frozen peas but sadly, at hospital, it could not be reattached. The police were called and the two men left.’

A flash of light was seen through the window, as if someone had taken a picture from outside, and shortly afterwards, Pile called Mr Sachaidac’s phone.

He handed it to a police officer and Pile told him ’it was just a couple of blokes having a bit of a disagreement’.

Mr Sachaidac, aged 51, told the jury he was attacked without warning. He said: ’Pile was shouting and screaming. He was not making a lot of sense and there was a scuffle.

’I felt my head go bang and felt another sharp pain. I turned around and Pile came at me. The other man hit me four times on the head.

’I saw a flash of something coming at me and I grabbed it. I thought it was something like a Stanley knife. It was all happening so quickly. He was agitated, like a man possessed.

’I cut my finger. The other man was still hitting me with a hammer. I fought back because If he had his way I would be in a box now. He had a knife and it was deliberate.

’I hit him with the bottle to defend myself. They were both on me. I am sure the bottle did not break. It went on for a few minutes and I felt a pain in my nose and realised half had been bitten off.

’Pile was close to my face when I felt that pain. I did not realise it had been bitten off until someone pointed it out and put it on the bar and the police put it on ice.

’I am still scarred but it has grown back naturally. I am still getting double vision and think I have a detached retina.

’I had to defend myself with the bottle. You’d do the same if two people came at you, one with a knife and one with a hammer. Do you think I wanted all that with a five-year-old and a 10-year-old at a Christmas dinner?’

The trial continues.