UK man bites off girl’s face in brutal bus attack

In a horrifying incident, a 19-year-old girl was attacked on a bus last November in the UK when a stranger bit off part of her face.

Ella Dowling boarded her usual bus home when 53-year-old Darren Taylor began making comments about her and her friends. He then grabbed her face and bit her nose and mouth, leaving her with severe injuries to her left nostril and part of her lip.

Ella, however, managed to break free with the help of her friends and bystanders restrained Taylor until the police arrived. She was first rushed to Cheltenham Hospital, then transferred to Gloucester Hospital for emergency surgery. Taylor was arrested and charged with grievous bodily harm with intent,

The teenager required 50 stitches, as her lip was split open, and there were visible bite marks on her nose and mouth.

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

Ella, a Portsmouth University student from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, told The Mirror: "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, moving his head side to side.”

Following the attack, Ella underwent two-and-a-half hours of reconstructive surgery through the NHS to repair the damage. However, doctors informed her she would have permanent physical scars due to the severity of her injuries.