Woman’s ear bitten off ‘like a carrot’ in Castleford takeaway attack

Kylie Price, 24, described the moment Nicole McGill sank her teeth into her ear as sounding like “someone biting a carrot.”

McGill was handed a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to unlawful wounding over the drunken assault in a takeaway on Carlton Street, Castleford.

Leeds Crown Court heard Miss Price had been out drinking with a friend in March of last year and had gone to the fast food shop at the end of the evening.

McGill also went into the premises with a group of friends at the end of a night’s drinking.

Helen Chapman, prosecuting, said McGill became violent after Miss Price made a “jokey remark” towards her.

She pushed her against the counter, causing her to fall on the floor.

McGill then straddled Miss Price and pulled her hair to one side before biting into her ear. The prosecutor said: “The worst part of the incident for the victim was hearing the bite.

“She later described it as like someone biting through a carrot.”

McGill, of King Street, Normanton, then left in a taxi, leaving Miss Price in shock.

Miss Chapman said: “It was only when the ambulance attended and she was asked where the rest of her ear was that she realised the extent of her injury.”

She was taken to hospital and underwent surgery but has been left permanently disfigured.

The court heard Miss Price had suffered psychologically as a result of the attack.

She has given up her plans to be a hairdresser and now works in a kitchen because her ear is covered by a hair net and cannot be seen by others.

Miss Chapman said: “She considers herself to have been permanently maimed.”

Jeremy Lindsay, mitigating, said McGill had moved away from the Castleford and had made changes to her life in the 20 months since the attack.

Mr Lindsay said McGill would be able to keep her job if she was not given an immediate prison sentence.

McGill was given a 12 month sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work.