Northern Ireland

Derry man Stephen McCarron (35) found guilty of biting part of his girlfriend's nose off

Stephen McCarron was found guilty of biting nose off his girlfriend
Stephen McCarron was found guilty of biting nose off his girlfriend Stephen McCarron was found guilty of biting nose off his girlfriend

A 35-year-old man has been found unanimously guilty at Derry Crown Court of assaulting his girlfriend by biting off part of her nose.

Following a five-day trial the jury of seven women and five men convicted Stephen Charles McCarron from Moyola Drive in the area of the city after several hours of deliberations.

The jury however found the defendant unanimously not guilty of threatening to kill his girlfriend.

McCarron, who had 74 previous convictions, two of them for assaulting the same victim, is to be sentenced on December 11 and he was remanded in continuing custody until that date.

He will also be sentenced on December 11 for breaching a court imposed Restraining Order by being in his girlfriend's Bogside flat on the night of the assault on August 15 2017.

The jurors were told that McCarron had already admitted that offence.

McCarron and his 32-year-old victim had been in a relationship for two years at the time of the offences which occurred after he and his victim had attended a bonfire in the Bogside following a day-long drinking binge.

During the assault McCarron, who did not give evidence during his trial, kicked and punched his victim before biting her on the nose, partially severing her right nostril.

The victim reported the assaults on her to a domestic violence organisation who told her to go to Altnagelvin Hospital to have her nasal injury treated. She is still awaiting re-constructive plastic surgery