A 23-year-old man who bit a mourner's ear during a fight at a wake has been jailed for unlawful wounding.
Roberto Traviato was operated on by plastic surgeons after being injured during the incident, at The Volunteers pub, in Lawkholme Lane, Keighley, last October, but a judge heard on Monday that he was now permanently disfigured.
Prosecutor Judith Naylor told Bradford Crown Court how Mr Traviato had been talking to his niece at the wake when she told him she was having problems with her boyfriend, Gavin O'Hara.
Mrs Naylor said the complainant challenged O'Hara about the situation and when he got no response he grabbed hold of him and blows were exchanged.
"It is agreed that the defendant did not start the violent episode that day," conceded Mrs Naylor.
"The complainant was the initial aggressor but having exchanged blows the complainant was then grabbed from behind by a third party.
"While he was held, the defendant bent forward and bit down on the complainant's ear.
"The complainant saw him actually spit out some skin and blood."
O'Hara, of Cleveland Street, Colne, told police after his arrest that he had been drinking and had very little recollection of the incident.
He pleaded guilty earlier this month to the wounding charge but his barrister, Timothy Stead, pointed out that his client was "emotionally highly-charged" at the time the offence was committed.
Judge Roger Ibbotson said Mr Traviato had suffered an extremely nasty injury and the courts always treated biting as a serious aggravating feature.
He jailed O'Hara for 12 months for the wounding offence but said he would also have to serve a further 90 days in respect of an outstanding suspended sentence.
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