A violent thug who bit off part of his girlfriend's ex partner's ear then boasted about it has been jailed.
Liam Thornton repeatedly encountered Kieran Swan during a night out in Blyth before launching the sickening attack in a nightclub. Newcastle Crown Court heard it was on August 14 last year that Mr Swan had been out for a meal and Thornton and his partner also happened to be in the same place.
Michael Bunch, prosecuting, said: "The defendant had been staring at him during the meal." They then encountered each other in a pub in Blyth and Mr Bunch said: "The defendant spoke to Mr Swan and suggested he was jealous of his relationship with his ex partner. He said he didn't want trouble and walked away. The defendant and his friend laughed at him."
