A MAN has left his girlfriend's former partner scarred for life after biting off part of his ear.
Christopher James Kempson, 41, chewed part of Lance Behany's ear off during a pub fight.
Kempson, who has a previous conviction for biting a bouncer on the nose, straddled his victim as he lay on the ground and spat out his ear, laughing.
Recorder Graham Cook told Kempson it was a "grotesque" injury and has ordered him to pay £300 compensation to Mr Behany.
He said: "During this fight, he was beating you and you bit at his ear. It was simply you acting in self-defence at this stage.
"Where the offence occurs is when you were been pulled away and you still continued to bite the complainant's ear.
"I have seen the grotesque picture of the large chunk of ear which you, with your teeth, pulled off.
"There is no excuse whatsoever for that type of action.
"You have used your mouth as a weapon in the past.
"There is an ongoing effect on your victim, who has had part of his ear removed and he will have to live with that for the rest of his life.
"There was an element of gratuitous degradation that you straddled him and grinned at him when you had finished the job."
Kempson had been drinking in Parker's bar in Hull city centre with his girlfriend when her former partner arrived to repay her some money.
He pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm at Hull Crown Court on the basis that Mr Behany started the fight.
Kempson claimed Mr Behany was aggressive towards him and had pushed and he responded by pushing him away.
He claimed the victim then kicked him in the stomach and they started to fight.
Kempson said he was trying to get out of his attacker's grip when he bit his ear.
Prosecutor Jharna Jobes said: "He accepts biting the ear to stop the fight but claims he lost his temper and continued to bite the ear.
"He ended up biting the ear off and spitting it out and appeared to take pleasure in it."
The fight was broken up by the landlord of the bar on June 19 last year.
Mr Behany has suffered permanent injury to his ear and has a visible chunk missing.
It is not the first time Kempson has used his teeth in a fight. He has previously bitten the nose of a security guard when he was being arrested.
Kempson, of Lowther Street, west Hull, also has previous convictions for violence.
His solicitor, Ian Phillip, said: "The ear biting was to stop the fight. Initially it was self-defence to get the complainant to release his grip."
Recorder Cook has sentenced him to a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.
He was ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for two years and to undertake an alcohol treatment programme and to attend the Calm programme.
Recorder Cook said: "If you commit any offences in the next two years, the prison sentence will be activated and any new offence will create its own sentence."
He has also made a restraining order banning Kempson from contacting his victim.
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