A mother-of-three bit into her ex-boyfriend’s ear as he physically threw her out of his home after she smashed up his belongings in a cocaine-fuelled wrecking spree.
Levi Barratt, 31, sunk her teeth into Shaun Collier’s ear, leaving him needing surgery, after she ‘flipped out’ in a rage while trying to recover the couple’s troubled relationship.
During her rampage Barratt smashed a glass table and TV as well as damaging 53-year old Mr Collier’s jewellery and aftershave, leaving hundreds of pounds-worth of destruction.
She bit him as he attempted to carry her from his property in Stockport, Greater Manchester, with a judge describing the savage attack as ‘a nasty thing to do’.
But Barratt avoided jail due to mitigating circumstances, with the time she spent in HMP Styal since she pleaded guilty on October 6 also factored in.
‘Your mother tells me in a report that you are not enjoying your time at HMP Styal at the moment. Good, you’re not supposed to be enjoying it,’ the judge told her yesterday, before sentencing her to a rehabilitation order and suspended jail term.
Mother-of-three Levi Barratt, 31, sunk her teeth into Shaun Collier’s ear, leaving him needing surgery
During her rampage Barratt smashed a glass table and TV as well as damaging 53-year old Mr Collier’s jewellery and aftershave
In a statement to police, Mr Collier said: ‘I will not forget Levi’s actions that day. I feared the bite would cause permanent scarring and I’m concerned I might not have enough money to pay for the damaged possessions.
‘I feel I have the power to forgive her but I also believe she deserves to face the consequences for what she has done. I’m just grateful for her for acknowledging her guilt.’
At Minshull Street Crown Court, Barratt, of Shaw Heath, Stockport, admitted wounding and criminal damage and was sentenced to five months’ jail suspended for a year.
David Lees, prosecuting, said: ‘The defendant and Mr Collier had been in a relationship. Mr Collier says they were together for six months but after it all ended he wanted to create some distance between them.’
‘On the 25 July of this year, the defendant attended Mr Collier’s address.
‘The defendant attempted to try and make up for her disruptive and unpredictable behaviour but this discussion soon turned into an argument and the defendant descended into a rage.
‘Mr Collier then picked up the defendant, lifting her up by putting his hands under her arms, and removed her from his house.
Barratt will have to complete 30 rehabilitation activity days and be subject to a drug monitoring period of nine months
‘During her removal, the defendant bit Collier on the top of the ear. He claimed to have not felt anything at the time and said his mind was more preoccupied with his broken possessions and removing her from his property. He only noticed once it started bleeding when he was back in his house.
‘The defendant tried to apologise when outside Collier’s house, although she was under the influence of drugs at the time.’
Mr Collier was forced to go to hospital the next day and was given a tetanus shot for the wound on his upper left ear.
He suffered a one-centimetre laceration and had to receive stitching to mend it, for which he was placed under local anaesthetic, the court heard.
Mr Collier’s lawyer added: ‘He feels he has the power to forgive her although he still believes she deserves to face the consequences for what she has done. He is also grateful for her for acknowledging her guilt.’
In mitigation, defence counsel Damian Zelazowski said: ‘Although this was no doubt a serious incident it was short and spontaneous.’
‘She is remorseful and can be considered of good character.
‘You would have no doubt seen her personal letter of remorse and testimonial letters from her parents, who are supporting her in court today. She hasn’t blamed anyone else for what has happened to her.
‘This defendant has been as cordial as she can be but it is clear she has been using drugs to deal with her emotional control and she has particular difficulty in dealing with conflict.
‘This behaviour has meant that she often flips out into fits of anger, as she did in this incident.
‘She has been in the throngs of drug use for at least a couple of years and sadly this has meant that she has lost three children to care for. She has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression.
‘You’ll be pleased to hear that she is taking the first small steps towards progress. She is currently taking medication and the difference between how she was when she first appeared in front of a court and now is stark. She also has a place at a rehabilitation centre.’
In sentencing, Judge Mark Savill said: ‘The defendant is very lucky that her parents have not turned their back on her as she has rather tested their patience over the years.
‘She is also fortunate that the complainant has shown the good grace to forgive her for her actions.’
In a statement to police, Mr Collier said: ‘I will not forget Levi’s actions that day. I feared the bite would cause permanent scarring’
‘To put it in old money, this was a nasty thing to do. I want to make this clear to anyone that is listening.’
‘People who bite other people’s ears will go to prison,’ he said, before adding in Barratt’s case she would avoid jail because she had ‘already served a significant amount of time in prison’.
Discussing mitigating factors, he said: ‘This was a very unpleasant event but I must say that it was not the most unpleasant event.
‘The damage done to the complainant’s ear was not the most serious it could have been and the criminal damage you caused was relatively minor in its costs.
‘I understand that you have yourself suffered significant trauma caused by abusive relationships in the past. Your life has descended into the utter misery of drug addiction, which had made you completely blinkered from reality.
‘You are somebody who when not in the throngs of drug addiction is an articulate and clever woman. You are loved by your family and you should be grateful that you have them by your side.’
Barratt will have to complete 30 rehabilitation activity days and be subject to a drug monitoring period of nine months.