Woman who bit off man’s tongue during street fight pleads guilty

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In an unusual street fight nearly two years ago, a woman bit off a man’s tongue only for a seagull to immediately swoop down and take the severed muscle before the victim could recover it. The woman finally pleaded guilty last week to what she did.

Bethany Ryan and James McKenzie, a pair of strangers, apparently got in an altercation in Scotland, United Kingdom, after passing by each other in August 2019, as per Edinburgh Live on Feb. 21.

After “an argument developed” between the two, Ryan initially tried to walk away, according to prosecutor Susan Dickson in a court hearing last week. McKenzie, however, remained aggressive and approached Ryan “with a clenched fist.”

“Miss Ryan, somewhat oddly, responded to that by pushing him on the body and kissing him,” the fiscal was quoted as telling the Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

“She kissed him on the lips and during the course of that she bit through his tongue which caused a piece of his tongue to be removed,” she added.

McKenzie then walked off and spat out the chunk that Ryan bit off, which was picked up by a seagull. The said part was around 2 by 3 centimeters in size, the report said.

Dickson also disclosed that because the severed part was not retrieved, McKenzie did not require surgery but will be maimed for life.

Shortly after the incident, Ryan was arrested by police. She has since pleaded guilty to attacking McKenzie by pushing him, kissing him and biting off part of his tongue that resulted in severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

Solicitor Neil Martin, defending Ryan, meanwhile acknowledged that it was “a very strange incident in the round” but would reserve his full mitigation to the sentencing hearing, according to the report. Ian Biong/JB

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