Woman bit off part of ex-lover's ear

2:00pm Thursday 24th July 2008

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A 45-year-old woman who acted bizarrely before biting off part of her ex-lover's ear at a pagan wedding reception in Herefordshire has been found guilty of unlawful wounding.

Gaile Stevens, of Kirbymoorside, West Yorkshire, had denied the allegation during a two-day trial at Worcester Crown Court but was found guilty by a jury.

The prosecution alleged she had invaded the wedding ceremony being hosted by Peter Lees at his home in Wellington Heath, near Ledbury, last September.

The pair had split amicably a few weeks before she turned up at the wedding.

He said she was acting bizarrely, dressed as a comedy cleaning woman with rubber gloves and a broom.

After the ceremony, he visited her van and found she was howling and hissing.

It was as though she was possessed by the devil, he said.

He was concerned she was having mental health problems so called police and an ambulance.

But she ran off cackling into woods and threatened to return later.

When she came back, she beckoned him for an embrace and sunk her teeth into his ear as he bent towards her.

The missing part of the ear was never found.

Stevens told the court that the bite was an accident and that Mr Lees was unhappy to see her because he had heard about her relationship with another man.

He had lunged towards her in an aggressive manner when she went to confront him.

Judge Patrick Thomas said medical evidence showed Stevens was suffering from psychotic episodes but this was no defence in law to the wounding allegation.

Releasing her on bail for a psychiatric report, he adjourned sentencing until September.