Man shot off own finger to get rid of wart

DONCASTER, England, June 17 (UPI) -- A British man who attempted to use a shotgun to blast off a wart wound up losing most of his finger and was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

Sean Murphy, 38, who was charged after the March incident with illegal possession of a firearm, was also given a suspended 16-week jail sentence and ordered to pay $160 in court costs after pleading guilty in Doncaster Magistrates' Court, The Star reported Friday.

Murphy said he was glad to avoid jail and did not mind losing his middle finger if it meant the wart, which he suffered with for five years, would not be returning.

"The best thing is that the wart has gone. It was giving me lot of trouble," he said.

"I didn't expect to lose my finger as well when I shot it but the gun recoiled and that was it. The wart was gone and so was most of my finger. There was nothing left so no chance to re-attach it."

Murphy told police he found the gun in a hedge three months before the incident. Authorities said he did not have a license to possess firearms.