COUNTY NEWS: Sussex man sentenced to life for chopping off victim's thumbs

Stephen Bryant attacked his 36-year-old acquaintance in May last year.

Police were initially alerted after the victim was seen being dragged from his home in Earl Street, HAstings, around 10am on May 29.

However, just 45 minutes later the victim managed to make his way to some remote cottages between Robertsbridge and Salehurst suffering terrible injuries and emergency services were called.

The man was bleeding heavily from his hands and it soon became apparent both of his thumbs had been severed almost entirely from his hands.

Although the victim initially refused to tell police many details, he said that he had been held down and attacked with an axe.

He suffered serious lacerations to each hand, severed arteries and tendons and crushed bones.

CCTV traced a BMW travelling on the road, the car owned by Stephen Bryant, a local gym owner.