Homeless man bit off stranger's ear

Garth Anderton, a homeless mental health patient, has admitted biting off a stranger's ear in a New Year's Day attack after being released from the John Elliot psychiatric unit at Birch Hill Hospital.

Anderton, aged 27, who attacked the victim in the centre of Torbay, where he was living rough, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Euan Turner and common assaults on three other people who tried to intervene.

Exeter Crown Court was told Anderton had a short exchange of looks with the victim as they passed in the street and he then attacked him and bit off his ear.

Kevin Hopper, defending, said: "My client is a man of the street. There was an exchange of glances and he went over and bit the ear off the victim.

"About one month before he had been sectioned at the John Elliot Unit in Rochdale. he has a long history of mental health problems."

Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report and a psychiatric report from the unit where he was last treated.