'Crunching' noise heard as drunken thug bit off bouncer's ear during grisly attack outside Wakefield pub

A “crunching noise” was heard by witnesses when a drunken thug bit off part of a doorman’s ear outside a pub and then spat it out onto the pavement.
By Nick Frame
Published 25th Nov 2023, 16:30 GMT
Updated 27th Nov 2023, 15:40 GMT
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The grisly assault happened after staff tried to restrain Liam McNally when he was ejected from The Raven in Wakefield city centre.

He hit out by punching, kicking, spitting and headbutting the workers before sinking his teeth into the victim’s ear, biting off a sizeable chunk.

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He then threatened to rape a police officer’s family members after being arrested, Leeds Crown Court heard.

McNally bit a chunk from the bouncer's ear outside The Raven pub in Wakefield. (pic by WYP / Google Maps)McNally bit a chunk from the bouncer's ear outside The Raven pub in Wakefield. (pic by WYP / Google Maps)
McNally bit a chunk from the bouncer's ear outside The Raven pub in Wakefield. (pic by WYP / Google Maps)

The incident happened on the evening of September 22, which was also McNally’s 29th birthday. Following an altercation inside the Westmorland Street pub, he was ejected along with his partner.

They both remonstrated outside and he made threats to staff, telling them he would return and told them wear stab vests, inferring he was going to stab them.

McNally was shoved by one of the door staff members but he then got up and threw a punch connecting with the victim’s face and loosening one of his teeth. McNally was then taken to the floor where he threatened to kill them all while spitting and kicking. He then bit the victim’s earlobe off. The chunk of flesh was later retrieved but medical staff were unable to re-attach it.

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McNally, of Old Crown Road, Wakefield, later gave a no-comment interview. He was charged with Section 18 GBH, but later admitted the lesser charge of Section 20 GBH, which was accepted.

McNally has 11 previous convictions for 13 offences, but none for violence. In a probation report, McNally said he had no recollection of the events and had been drinking cider before heading to the pub.

Mitigating, Soheil Khan said: “His best mitigation arises from his guilty plea. He has been in custody since this incident. He accepts what happened is because of drink. He is utterly remorseful.”

Judge Ray Singh questioned why the charge was reduced from Section 18 GBH with intent to Section 20 without intent, telling him the use of his teeth as a weapon “only had one intention”, but accepted the Crown’s decision.

He said: “It merits an immediate custodial sentence. This was not one single blow, it was prolonged and persistent.” He jailed him for 20 months.