A MAN bit part of the ear of a fellow reveller off in an attack at a Weymouth nightclub.

Shane Wilson, 27, was found guilty following trial at Dorchester Crown Court of an offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The charge relates to an incident in Dolce Vita in St Thomas Street on the night of March 1 last year.

Giving evidence at the trial, victim Matthew Mears said he was out with family celebrating a birthday on the night in question when they ended up at the venue.

He said when they were there he believed Wilson, who he knew, was upsetting his sister so he grabbed and pushed him before leading her away from the defendant.

Mr Mears told the jury Wilson was standing behind him when he felt a blow to his face that knocked him to the floor.

He said that Wilson then leant over him and he felt a pain in his right ear.

Mr Mears said: “I didn’t know what it was at first.

“I pulled my head away from his and the pain got worse.”

He said Wilson left the club immediately and when he got up a member of the door staff saw the extent of the injury to Mr Mears’ ear and ‘his facial expression just dropped’.

Mr Mears, who later needed hospital treatment, told the jury that he left the venue and attempted to chase after Wilson but the defendant ‘took off’ when he saw the alleged victim coming after him.

Wilson, of Knowles House Avenue, Liverpool, denied the offence and claimed he was acting in self defence.

He claimed Mr Mears had been the aggressor and he had been left with ‘no other option’ but to bite his ear to get him off him.

The jury of eight men and four women took a little over an hour to reach their guilty verdict.

The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared and Wilson will return to be sentenced on September 16.

Recorder Rufus Taylor warned Wilson after the jury had delivered its verdict that he faced a ‘practically inevitable’ custodial sentence.

He told the defendant: “You have been convicted of a very serious offence by the jury.”