A 22-year-old man has been given a suspended prison sentence after he bit off the top of another man’s left ear during an early hours street fight in Brighouse.
Ricky Jones, of Highfield Road, Rastrick, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on James Waddington during the incident a year ago and today he was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years.
Bradford Crown Court heard how Mr Waddington, who did not turn up for Jones’ trial last month, had drunk 12 pints on the night of the incident and Jones was said to have shouted at him after seeing him be abusive to a woman.
Jones’ barrister Stephen Wood said it was the complainant who threw the first punch and his client suffered a deep cut to his head during the initial fight.
Mr Wood said Jones accepted that during a second fight between the two men he had bitten off the top of Mr Waddington’s ear, but he said his guilty plea to wounding was on the basis that it had been “excessive” self defence.
Mr Wood said Jones could have taken advantage of the fact that the complainant failed to turn up for the trial, but he had pleaded guilty and expressed genuine remorse.
After hearing submissions from Mr Wood Judge David Hatton QC decided to impose the suspended prison term, but he also ordered Jones to do 200 hours unpaid work for the community.
