Man 'bit off and chewed' woman's tongue

A prostitute had part of her tongue bitten off by a man who acted like an "animal", a court was told today.

The jury at Preston Crown Court was told that Andrew Humphris, 36, from Leyton, east London, bit off and chewed part of the prostitute's tongue during a series of attacks that took place over the course of one night last year.

Prosecutor Richard Haworth told the court that four other women were also attacked on the same night, with the attacks becoming increasingly more violent as Humphris became "increasingly frustrated".

Mr Haworth said that Mr Humphris had bit his first victim's tongue before harassing a woman, who he attempted to separate from friends, shortly after midnight. He was then alleged to have carried out a violent sex attack on a woman in her car, before biting off part of the tongue of the fourth victim, just before 3am.

The jury was told that Mr Humphris then chased a fifth woman, who was driving a car, and rammed the vehicle in an attempt to get it to stop.

Mr Humphris has denied five charges against him, which include wounding, attempted kidnapping and sexual assault, although he has pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving.

(KMcA/SP)