Andrew Wheelhouse clamped his teeth around victim Lee Smith's ear before biting off a piece of flesh.

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Leeds Crown Court heard a witness saw Wheelhouse, 22, spit the severed piece of ear on to the floor during the horrifying incident on an Armley street.

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Jailing Wheelhouse, of Salisbury Road, Armley, for two years, Judge Sally Cahill QC told him: "A completely innocent man had his ear bitten by you.

"It was a particularly nasty attack he will always bear the scars from that night."

Prosecutor, Stephen Uttley said Wheelhouse and Mr Smith were in a group of men drinking at a house on Salisbury Road in the early hours last Christmas morning.

Two of the men started arguing and the group went outside.

Mr Uttley said Wheelhouse tried to punch Mr Smith after he had pushed one of Wheelhouse's friends.

The court heard Wheelhouse and Mr Smith fell to the floor with Mr Smith on his back and Wheelhouse on top of him.

Mr Uttley said a witness saw Wheelhouse get up and spit something out
of his mouth. "In the circumstances of this case it must have been part of the complainant's ear."

Wheelhouse had admitted wounding.

Richard Reed, for Wheelhouse, who has previous convictions for common assault and burglary, said: "He bitterly regrets the injury caused to the complainant. It's not something he is proud of. He accepts he will have to moderate his drink intake in future."