Telford teenager bit girlfriend's face in row over her 'revealing' top
A Telford teenager bit his girlfriend's face in a row about her "overly revealing" top during a drink and drug-fuelled night out, a court heard.
James Powis saw red while out with the woman and other friends for a 40th birthday celebration in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk in February – and then lashed out at a police officer who was trying to arrest him.
The 19-year-old, of Fylingdales Drive in Doseley, was told by justices at Telford Magistrates Court the assault was so serious it justified a jail sentence.
But justices opted to suspend the term of imprisonment – and the court heard the couple were now attempting to get back together because she was expecting his child.
Powis admitted assaulting the woman and the police officer on February 19 this year.
Mr Adam Warner, prosecuting, said: "This was a particularly unpleasant domestic assault. Joanna Copsey, a town pastor, described a female coming over to her absolutely distraught and terrified, shouting 'he has bitten my face'.
"She had bite marks to her right cheek and cuts to her lip and nose."
Mr Warner said the couple had travelled to Suffolk with other friends before trouble flared in a bar.
"He thought her top was overly revealing and didn't like other people looking at her," the prosecutor said. "She was helping two males with a laptop to play music in the bar. The defendant became very aggressive at this point and started abusing her.
"He grabbed her by the hair, lifted her off the ground, placed his face against hers and started to bite her face and nose."
Mr Warner said Powis also "took a swing" at a police officer trying to arrest him, with the officer suffering grazing to his knee and hand in the resulting scuffle.
Mr Jamie Wade, for Powis, said his client had no recollection of the attack.
But he said he had not tried to duck responsibility for it and was "horrified" by what he had done.
"Everybody there consumed too much alcohol and drugs, cocaine," Mr Wade said.
Justices handed Powis a three-month jail term, but opted to suspended it for a period of 12 months.
He was also ordered to take part in alcohol treatment and complete 150 hours of unpaid work, as well as paying £100 compensation to the police officer and £150 to his partner.
