A man accused of smashing a fire extinguisher in a woman’s face has been convicted of assaulting her at her Brighton home.
Lee Witts, 48, was found guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm at Lewes Crown Court but cleared of causing the woman GBH with intent.
Witts denied intending to hurt Stephanie Foss, saying that her injuries were caused when he pushed open a door, not realising that she was behind it.
Ms Foss had earlier told the jury that Witts grabbed a fire extinguisher that was kept near her kitchen door and smashed her in the face with it.
She told the jury: “My nose just popped. It started bleeding straight away. And my eye.”
The force of the assault smashed a titanium dental plate into the roof of her mouth, breaking the hard palate.
She also suffered a broken nose, broken jaw and fractured eye socket and her bottom set of teeth flew out, she said, and hadn’t been found since.
As a result, she had had to live on a diet of soft food and had only been given a new top set of teeth a month ago – a year on from the attack.
Witts was also cleared of attacking Ms Foss’s husband, Richard Bond, and causing him actual bodily harm (ABH) on Saturday 5 March last year. The pair fought in the street.
And the jury acquitted Witts of attacking the couple’s lodger, Stephen Woodall, and causing him actual bodily harm.
The court was told that Witts and his son, Michael Witts, 26, of Foster Court, York Avenue, Hove, turned up at the couple’s home in Lower Bevendean Avenue one Saturday afternoon.
Witts was said to owe money for drugs to Mr Bond. The pair had met in prison some years before.
Robin Griffiths, prosecuting, said that they robbed Stephanie Foss, stealing cash and her mobile phone – but the jury cleared both men of robbery.
Laura Paisley, defending Lee Witts, said: “This was a fight over a drug debt.”
She said that Mr Bond was to blame for the fight, the police had not properly checked the security camera footage that was available and the injuries to Ms Foss were accidental.
Gareth Burrows, defending Michael Witts, said that his client had been present but had tried to calm the situation.
Michael Witts was cleared of all four charges – assaulting Mr Bond, Ms Foss and Mr Woodall as well as the charge of robbery.
Lee Witts, of Newtonhill, in Aberdeenshire, and formerly of Albion Street, Southwick, and Gordon Road, Fishersgate, is due to be sentenced next month.
He was remanded on bail by Judge Christine Laing, the honorary recorder of Brighton and Hove, until Thursday 25 May.
