Convicted wife beater Steven Smith from Middlesbrough has described to Teeside Crown Court how his family cut out his teeth using a six inch knife blade.
“A knife cut my lip, I felt my gums where my teeth were missing. I blacked out. I’ve never felt pain like it.” He told the court.
Smith aged 43, was allegedly attacked in his home by three members of his own family and was violently mutilated when the blade was used to hack the teeth from his mouth. He blacked out during the bloody attack, but later went to hospital where he required over 100 stitches in his mouth and needed four teeth removing. Three teeth were already hacked out of his gums and were later found in his blood splattered bathroom where the attack allegedly took place.
Smith’s ex-wife Katrina, daughter Nikki, stepson Wayne Lappin and unrelated Mike Smith all deny the allegations, even claiming Smith’s injuries may have been self inflicted.
Smith was estranged from wife Katrina, and had been convicted and sent to prison for assaulting her in 2003 and 2004. The couple had been separated for two years, but had reconciled late last year and were still seeing each other. The attack happened in the early hours of New Years Day, Smith and his wife had spent New Years Eve together drinking but after an argument Smith returned home alone. Later that evening he was woken by Mrs Smith sounding her car horn outside his home. When Mr Smith went outside he says he was then attacked by the three other defendants who beat him with baseball bats and lengths of wood. He was then dragged inside and the attack with the knife began.
As a result of his injuries Mr Smith had to wear a special palate and it took him two months of therapy until he could actually speak again.
