Dad bit into his partner's face and left her with open wound after arming himself with wooden banister rail during drunken rage at family home in Leeds

Kristopher Birch-Garth was locked over the attack on the woman which he carried in front of front of teenage children.

Leeds Crown Court heard the 32-year-old defendant was in a relationship with the victim at the time of the offence in July last year.

The couple had a baby together and the woman has three older children who lived with them.

The incident happened when one of the victim's older daughters came home with her friend.

Birch-Garth began arguing with the youngster and the dispute continued out onto the stairway.

Brian Russell, prosecuting, said the defendant pulled a wooden banister rail from the wall.

Mr Russell said Birch-Garth then lunged forward towards her and she felt a severe pain to her right cheek.

She put her hand to her face and saw it was covered in blood.

The defendant also punched the woman.

The prosecutor said the woman was sick and may have briefly lost unconsciousness.

Birch-Garth said he could not believe what he had done when he saw the wound to his partner's face.

He gathered some belongings and left the house but was later arrested and interviewed.

Birch-Garth, of Fir Tree Approach, Moortown, denied attacking the woman and claimed he had bitten her by accident as he tried to restrain her daughter.

He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actually bodily harm shortly before he was due to go on trial.

Birch-Garth has previous convictions for criminal damage and dishonesty.

Shila Whitehead, mitigating, asked that her client be given credit for pleaded guilty ahead of the trial so that witnesses did not have to give evidence before a jury.

Ms Whitehead said it was accepted that Birch-Garth carried out the offence when he was intoxicated.

Birch-Garth was jailed for 12 months.

Sentencing, Recorder Jason Pitter QC told Birch-Garth he had carried out the attack when he was "fuelled by drink".

He said: "It culminated in a mother defending her daughter and you biting her..

"It was a nasty open wound releasing a lot of blood. The injuries speak for themselves."

Recorder Pitter said the only sentence he could impose was an immediate prison sentence, adding: "This was violence within the home of the victim, with a domestic background while she was doing nothing but protecting her daughter."