Woman claims ear bite at Ledbury wedding was accidental

12:53pm Wednesday 23rd July 2008

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A WOMAN accused of biting off part of her ex-boyfriend's ear has claimed it was an accident.

At Worcester Crown Court Gaile Stevens denies unlawfully wounding Peter Lees.

She told the jury that Mr Lees was angry that she was at a pagan wedding ceremony, which he was holding on his land at Wellington Heath, near Ledbury.

The 45-year-old claims Mr Lees lunged towards her in an aggressive manner when she went to confront him to ask for the keys to her van following the wedding.

Stevens, of Kirbymoorside, near Pickering, West Yorkshire, said she had been invited to the wedding but Lees was unhappy to see her because he had heard of her involvement in a relationship with another man and wanted her to leave.

She said: "He came across as being angry to see me. This is the impression he was giving. He was aggressive and did not want me there and I respected that."

She said the people at the wedding were not the type of people she would normally associate with and as a result decided not to socialise with them.

Mr Lees had previously told how Stevens' behaviour had been strange at the wedding.

It included howling like a dog and being dressed as a comedy cleaning woman with rubber gloves and a broom and was pushing people around.

At one point during the day he also called police and an ambulance as he said he was concerned at her behaviour.

He claims his ear was ripped when he leant forward as he thought she wanted to embrace him. The case continues.