CHICKEN WING DISPUTE

Coleraine man bites friend's ear in chicken wing dispute
by: ALEXANDRA WEAVER
28 Jun, 2011 04:00 AM
A YOUNG professional who savagely bit the ear of an acquaintance during a drunken dispute over a chicken wing has been fined $1500.
Theodore Herring, 24, of McLeod Street, Coleraine, pleaded guilty to intentionally causing injury.
He was convicted by magistrate Stephen Myall, who said it was important to deter others from committing similar offences.
Portland Magistrates Court yesterday heard Herring spent the early hours of February 20 this year drinking with friends in central Hamilton.
About 4.30am he ventured to a fast food outlet on Thompson Street, where a man he knew from high school had just bought two chicken wings.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Sandra Skilton told the court Herring asked for some food and became violent when his request was refused.
He threw his victim to the ground, causing him to fall face-down on the footpath, and then lay on his back.Herring proceeded to place his mouth over the man’s left ear and bite down heavily before leaving.His victim required 12 stitches to his ear lobe, and later told police he expected to lose a large piece of flesh due to the attack.
Defence counsel Pat Howman said his client was given one chicken wing by his acquaintance and turned on the man after being denied the second one.
He said Herring, who holds a science degree in environmental management and ecology and works in the mining industry, left the area mainly due to disbelief at what had happened.The 24-year-old had offered repeated apologies to his victim but was yet to receive a reply.“If alcohol hadn’t been involved, this incident would never had got to where it did,” Mr Howman said, adding that Herring’s drinking began after he played in a cricket match. Sergeant Skilton said the community had become frustrated with drunken street violence involving innocent victims.