Fury at jail for woman who bit off testicle 'in defence'

Denise Carr, 29, sank her teeth into the groin of self-confessed wife-beater Neil Hutchinson.

There were gasps from the public gallery at Newcastle Crown Court when Judge Gerard Harkins jailed the mother-of-two for six months.

Mrs Carr suffered a panic attack as she was led away while her stunned husband Nathan, 32, looked on.

Outside the court, he said: "I can't believe they could do that to her. She was just trying to help a friend who was being attacked, and trying to defend herself when he turned on her."

Mr Hutchinson's ex-wife, Shelley, said: "I can't believe someone can be sent to jail for defending their friend."

The court heard how Mr Hutchinson, 29, had his testicle bitten in half by Mrs Carr as he pinned her to the floor.

A row erupted when bank worker Mr Carr and his wife threw a party for Mr Hutchinson and his bride Shelley, 20. The couple were married in Stanley, County Durham, only three weeks before the attack on October 15, 1999.

Trouble flared after Mrs Carr, of Low Fell, Gateshead, and Mrs Hutchinson went out for a drink, leaving their husbands babysitting and drinking beer and tequila at the Carrs' home.

When the women came back, Mrs Hutchinson went for a walk with Mr Carr, 29. On their return, Mr Hutchinson, 30, attacked his wife.

As Mrs Carr tried to defend her friend, Mr Hutchinson turned on her, punching her in the face and pinning her to the floor, the court heard.

Beatrice Bolton, defending, said her client bit her attacker in order to get him off her. Mrs Carr had pleaded guilty in December to affray.

A spokeswoman for pressure group Women's Aid said: "She was defending herself in the face of a violent attack in her own home and should not have been sent to prison.

"The sentence sends out completely the wrong message - that men can attack women and get away with it."

After surgeons failed to reattach the organ, Mr Hutchinson had counselling and has since split from his wife.