UK Horror: Man Assaults, Bites Off Teen Girl's Face on Bus

New Delhi: A 19-year-old girl in the UK suffered a terrifying attack when a stranger assaulted her on a bus, biting off parts of her face.

The incident occurred last year after the victim boarded a bus, where the accused, 53-year-old Darren Taylor, began making inappropriate comments towards her and her friends.

An argument broke out, and as the bus pulled up at the Promenade, the teenager attempted to get off. However, Taylor attacked her, grabbing her face and repeatedly biting her nose and mouth in a terrifying five-minute ordeal. The victim, with the help of her friends, eventually managed to escape, but was left with severe injuries.

Onlookers captured Taylor until the police arrived, at which point he was arrested.

According to reports, the victim’s left nostril to the lower part of her top lip was almost completely detached, except for a thin layer of skin. Her right lip was split open, and she had visible bite marks on her nose and mouth.

She was rushed to Cheltenham General Hospital and later transferred to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery, requiring 50 stitches to treat her injuries.

In March 2024, Taylor pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent at Gloucester Crown Court. On July 18, he was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison, along with a lifelong restraining order.

Speaking to a leading media outlet, the victim, a Portsmouth University student from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, shared her harrowing experience. "The pain I felt when he sank his teeth into my face is something that will stay with me forever. He was like a dog with a toy, shaking his head side to side. I held the back of his head, knowing that if I didn’t, he would completely tear off my lip and nose. When I first saw my face after the attack, I didn’t recognize myself. I couldn’t look in the mirror for months."

She also revealed the long-lasting emotional trauma of the attack. Since the incident, she has been unable to use public transportation due to severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Whenever she leaves home, she needs constant reassurance, staying on the phone with her mother or a friend out of fear of being attacked again.

"People say my scar is healing well, but for me, it’s more than a scar. It’s a disfigurement and a permanent reminder of what happened. I smile and speak differently now, and it’s something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life," she added.