A man left his neighbour needing 25 stitches after savagely biting his nose following a row over noise levels. Corey Rowlands, 21, drunkenly sunk his teeth into Russell Lewis in the early hours of January 16 last year outside their homes in Gilfach, Caerphilly county.
Prosecutor Talia Keskin told Cardiff Crown Court that Mr Lewis had been unhappy with "excessive noise" from the adjoining home, where Rowlands lived. She said: "At 4am on January 14, he went to the defendant's property to say he'd had enough of the noise. There was a confrontation, then it went quiet for a couple of hours, which meant Mr Lewis could get two hours of sleep before going to work the next day."
Late the following night a car pulled up near Mr Lewis' home and Rowlands got out. When Rowlands saw Mr Lewis looking at him through a window, he threw an empty beer glass towards that window.
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Ms Keskin said: "It smashed against the window, causing a loud bang. Mr Lewis thought it would come through from the force but it didn't. He went out to confront Mr Rowlands and there was a scuffle on the pavement. Mr Rowlands bit Mr Lewis' nose, causing excruciating pain. His nose started bleeding profusely and there were also red marks to his forehead."
Rowlands was driven away in the vehicle that had just dropped him off. Mr Lewis went to Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil and received 25 stitches to his nose. There was some scarring and he had to take a course of antibiotics as well as a tetanus booster jab.
The defendant, of Brynheulog Street in Penybryn, admitted grievous bodily harm (GBH). He had 14 previous offences on his record including assaulting an emergency worker, driving offences and actual bodily harm which involved striking someone over the head with a bottle. Days before Tuesday's hearing, he had finished a 19-month jail term.
Andrew Taylor, mitigating said: "He is still only 21. What he tells me is this all stems from heavy drinking. At the time he was either drinking very strong cider — eight or nine bottles or cans a day — or a bottle of vodka a day. He has been in custody for nine and a half months and has done work to tackle his drinking and his attitude to drink."
Mr Taylor said his client had been out with friends and drunk "a great deal" on the night he attacked Mr Lewis. "He apologises for what he did," the barrister added. "He was so drunk, he has very little recollection of that night. He felt angry that someone had come out to confront him, but he bit Mr Lewis in a way that was completely unacceptable."
Rowlands "will never forgive himself" for missing his daughter's first birthday and Christmas because he has been in custody, said Mr Taylor. He added that his client has worked in the water industry and is determined to get a job on his release from jail.
Judge Christopher Vosper KC said he took into account the defendant's age and previous convictions as he jailed him for 34 months. Rowlands nodded and turned to smile at his family in the public gallery as he was let down to the cells.
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