A STUDENT who bit another man's ear off in a nightclub has been spared jail.
Joseph Pryke, 21, of Millers Drive in Great Notley, was in the Candy Club in Chelmsford in April this year when he tore Jack Smith's earlobe off with his teeth.
Pryke, who had tried to calm down an earlier situation at the club, said that he was trying to get two men to shake hands, when Mr Smith came over to see what was happening.
As Mr Smith leant over to hear what was going on, Pryke, who claimed he only meant to "nip" Mr Smith's ear "in warning" to stay away, bit down on his earlobe and ripped it off, leaving blood pouring down his victim's neck.
At Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday, Pryke pleaded guilty to maliciously wounding Mr Smith with intent.
He originally denied the attack on April 18 this year but said that he panicked about what he had done and later went to the police station to confess.
"I spat out the earlobe in horror. It made me wretch," said Pryke.
Prosecutor Carolyn Gardiner told the court that the injury had left Jack Smith worried that for the rest of his life people would think there was something wrong with him.
She added that he has not been on a night out since.
Mitigating, John Caudle said of Pryke: "He doesn't know the victim and he is horrified at what he has done.
"Initially he was the peacemaker but unfortunately it all went horribly wrong. He thought, 'if I hit the man I will be assaulting him so I will nip his ear with my teeth to get him away,' but unfortunately he bit far too hard.
"He had no intention of biting it off. It's totally out of character."
Judge Christopher Ball QC agreed the incident was not like Pryke and took into account that he had confessed what he did to police.
Pryke, a marketing student at Southampton Solent University, was given a two-year community order with 160 hours of unpaid work.
He was also given an electronically tagged curfew between 10pm and 5am for four months, and was banned from going into any licensed premise for six months.
"It will be pretty tough for a student," added Judge Ball.
