A Sittingbourne man has been jailed for two years for biting off part of the ear of a fellow boozer.

Ian Spiers, 36, had admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm, but was acquitted of the more serious charge of doing it intending to cause serious harm.

Victim Stuart Stroud claimed he only realised he had lost part of his lobe when a friend told him.

Prosecutor Crispian Cartwright told Canterbury Crown Court how Spiers, of Broom Road, and Mr Stroud were friends.

He said: "In September last year, they were on friendly terms and were heavy drinkers. They were in a house in Dover and consuming strong lager."

"I had been drinking strong lager near the beach. I was very drunk and I can't recall what happened..." - victim Stuart Stroud

The prosecutor said "precisely what happened is unclear", but during the evening the two men fell out and began arguing.

"There was an altercation between the two men, who were clearly drunk and had clearly consumed far too much drink.

"That lead to a physical struggle between the two and during the incident, Spiers bit through the ear of Mr Stroud and indeed he bit the lower part of his ear off."

Mr Cartwright said that after the bust-up, Spiers returned home "still in an aggressive mood" and the police were later called to deal with a separate incident.

As he was being taken away in a police vehicle, a PC noticed Spiers had "blood around his mouth".

It was only then that the earlier attack was reported when Spiers told the officer: "Stuart Stroud. You might want to call him up. I beat him up today. I bit his ear off.

"It weren't GBH; just assault, because he hit me first so I beat him up."

Mr Stroud was asked by the prosecutor if he remembered the incident and told the jury: "No, not really."

He said he recalled being close to a car park in Dover town centre after downing lager all day.

"I had been drinking strong lager near the beach," he added. "I was very drunk and I can't recall what happened."

He was then shown a photograph of himself and asked if he remembered how the injury had occurred and replied: "Yes it was bitten off by Ian Spiers."

Mr Cartwright asked if he remembered the biting and he replied: "No, I was told later what had happened.

"I remember being at the beach, but I can't remember anything after that. Something happened between me and Ian but I can't remember what.

"I just remember the police turning up and I was angry. The following day I went to hospital for treatment for my ear."

Judge Nigel van der Bijl jailed Spiers for two years, telling him: "This was a serious incident which was committed in drink and you caused a serious injury."