A TYRONE woman who allegedly bit a man's ear during a night out at the Orchard Inn in Letterkenny was brought before a recent sitting of the District Court.

Siobhan Porter of 42, Glenelly View, Plumbridge was charged with assault causing harm to Alan Gormley at the Orchard Bar, Kilmacrennan road on 25 March last.

Inspector Angela Willis told the court that Alan Gormley was at the nightclub in the Orchard Inn. The defendant approached Gormley and went to speak to him. He couldn't hear what she was saying and bent his head toward her. Porter then bit his ear and there was a lot of blood.

She said the injured party and defendant did not know each other and no explanation was given for the assault. The injured party attended Letterkenny General Hospital and had his ear stitched back. Gormley is missing a small piece of his ear as a result.

Mr Gormley was asked to show Judge Desmond Zaidan his injuries. He said he did not want to pursue the matter further and was seeking to settle out of court.

Judge Zaidan refused to hear the case in the District Court. He said it was a serious, unprovoked assault and the victim and accused did not know each other.

He told Mr Gormley that he cannot request to have the case settled out of court as Porter had committed a criminal offence and was being prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions on behalf of the people of Ireland.

"As a victim in the case you are merely a witness. When somebody is charged with criminal offence it is out of your control. It is not the individual who prosecutes the accused but the DPP and is the law of the land," he explained.

He remanded Porter on continuing bail to appear at Letterkenny District Court on 17 May next for preparation and service of the Book of Evidence. The case will then be heard in the Circuit Court.