A violent “thug” who bit his former partner on the neck and finger during an attack in Halifax town centre has been jailed for two years.

A court heard tthat 33-year-old Elland man Robert Smith had little recollection of the assault in December because he was had been drinking and taking cocaine.

New mum Rebecca Brown had been out in Halifax when she was confronted by her ex who was already on bail in relation to an earlier incident involving her.

When police officers arrived on the scene they saw blood running down Miss Brown’s face and Smith was arrested.

The complainant said Smith, of Elland Lane, had bitten her neck and index finger during an initial attack and when she took her phone out he grabbed it and threw it on the ground damaging it.

Prosecutor Michael Greenhalgh told Bradford Crown Court that Smith then punched the complainant in the face causing her to fall backwards and bang her head against a door.

Mr Greenhalgh said Miss Brown suffered a cut to the back of her head which required five stitches and her nose was swollen and bleeding heavily.

She also had teeth marks and scratches on her neck as well as a cut to her finger where she had been bitten.

Smith, who had previous convictions, admitted offences of assault and damaging the phone and today he told Judge Jonathan Rose that he was disgusted with himself for what he had done.

The judge told Smith that his behaviour that night had been “appalling and disgusting violence”.

Judge Rose said there was no justification or excuse for raising a hand to a woman and a human bite was dangerous because there was a risk of infection.

The judge also told Smith that one-punch attacks could kill and he had experience of incidents where a blow from “a thug like him” had resulted in death.

“You have, I am satisfied, no recollection of these events because you were so steaming drunk and under the influence of drugs...it all happened in a blur,” said Judge Rose.

The judge also imposed an indefinite restraining order which bans Smith from having contact with the complainant unless it is through a legal representative.