Drunk woman bit man's lip off during argument over missing wallet

Stefanie Northern from Wakefield tore the 5cm-long piece from her ex partner's lip after letting her stay at his home on Hollin Lane in the Calder Grove area, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Prosecuting, Ashleigh Metcalfe told the court that the man challenged Northern after his wallet had gone missing and the pair began arguing in January of last year.

Northern then leaned forward as if she was going to kiss him, before sinking her teeth into his lip. She then clawed his neck and banged his head against a radiator before fleeing the house and going to a neighbour's house.

The police were called, but it was quickly established that she was the aggressor and was arrested.

She was heavily intoxicated and became angry that the police had been called.

The man was taken to hospital by ambulance where he needed treatment for his wounds.

After Northern was put her in the back of the police car, she kept leaning forward, so the officer in the passenger seat put his arm across the gap to stop her distracting the driver.

However, she then bit his arm.

A van was called and she was then placed into the cage to transport her to the station.

The 36-year-old, of Priory Court, Ossett, eventually admitted a charge of unlawful wounding and assaulting an emergency worker.

Mitigating, Andrew Stranex said: "The Stefanie Northern you see today is not the one I met last year. She was in a terrible place because of her dependence on alcohol.

"What she has tried to do, and to a large degree succeeded, has managed to address the problems she has got. She is motivated to improve her life.

"She is deeply remorseful for what she did that night."

Mr Stranex said Northern was engaging with the Wakefield mental health team, Turning Point, and is waiting to to be admitted into a detox programme.

The judge, Recorder Bryan Cox QC described it as a "nasty assault" but accepted the progress Northern had made since then.

He gave her a 12-month community order, with 25 rehabilitation days.

She was also given three month curfew order, to keep her at her home address between 9pm and 6am each day, and a two-year restraining order to keep her away from her former partner.