Quincy Stanley (Jimbo) Brangman, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, had his prison sentence reduced to five years yesterday by the Court of Appeal.

The 25-year-old, who was acquitted last January of stabbing Tekle Zion Mallory to death outside the Ice Queen restaurant in Paget, in July 2001, was found guilty of assaulting Mr. Mallory?s friend, Lemuel Weeks, during the early morning brawl outside the takeaway restaurant.

Brangman, who totes a tattoo saying ?Time Will Tell? with a drawing of a handgun below it, was was also found guilty of being in possession of a knife, on the same date.

Last year Assistant Justice Archibald Warner imposed an eight-year term on Brangman, to run consecutively to a three-and-a-half-year sentence he was then serving for an earlier assault conviction.

His lawyer, Michael Scott appealed the sentence and the conviction. He said he thought the sentence was handed down because the trial judge had dealt with Brangman in another assault in which he punched a man in his eye with a key.

Mr. Scott appealed the conviction on the grounds that no one saw his client stabbing Mr. Weeks.

Crown counsel Vinette Graham-Allen said it was enough that Mr. Weeks, after being wounded, saw Brangman run away from him towards Mr. Mallory.

The Court heard how Mr. Weeks had smashed a bottle in the face of Brangman during the fight and how the complainant said that he felt a prick in his back as he was about to get on his motorcycle.

Mr. Weeks received four stitches for the two-centimetre deep stab wound.

Mr. Scott argued that the sentence of eight years for the wounding was excessive for the nature of the crime.

Court of Appeal President Justice Edward Zacca asked whether Brangman was on bail for the earlier assault charge at the time of the stabbing of Mr. Weeks. Mr. Scott said he was.

Mr. Scott said the four months Brangman had spent on remand while awaiting trial for the murder and stabbing charge had not been compensated during the sentencing and that he had expected a sentence of up to five years for the offence.

Ms Graham-Allen submitted that Brangman was responsible for the stabbing of Mr. Weeks.

She said a witness saw the fight between Mr. Weeks and Brangman and saw Mr. Weeks crush a bottle in the face of Brangman before Brangman pulled a knife out of his pocket, although she did not witness the actual stabbing.

She said: ?It is the evidence given by Mr. Weeks that he was subsequently stabbed. He was stabbed by someone.?

Ms Graham-Allen said the appellant has a propensity for violence and she cited cases where he had assaulted Police officers.

Mr. Justice Zacca said:?We will allow leave to appeal the sentence ? admittedly this is a serious offence ? however it was not a serious wound.?

The Court reduced Brangman?s sentence to five years, less the four months he spent on remand.