'Sleepwalking' biter on trial

It's just amazing...
'Sleepwalking' biter on trial
BY JANICE MORSE
The Enquirer
August 2, 2007

HAMILTON – A man “growled like a dog” and bit a woman repeatedly, causing “horrific injuries” in a wild, unprovoked drunken attack, says Assistant Butler County Prosecutor David Kash.

The man’s defense?

He was sleepwalking, and can’t be held responsible for his actions.

At least that’s what defense lawyer Joseph Sprague argued Friday in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

A jury is considering whether to convict Cristen Comer, 29, of West Chester Township, on a felonious assault charge that could send him to prison for eight years. The charges stem from an incident that happened at his apartment on July 7, 2006.

A woman he had met at a bar early that morning came to his apartment. The pair drank throughout the night and into the next afternoon until both passed out.

The 23-year-old West Chester woman, whose name Kash did not disclose, told police she awoke because Comer was choking her and she couldn’t breathe.

A struggle ensued, where the woman bit Comer and he responded by biting her back – repeatedly – almost ripping off the left side of her upper lip, Kash said. That injury alone required 25 stitches, and left her with scars that disfigured her face.

After police showed up, Comer remained “very aggressive and growling,” and continued trying to bite everyone around him, including police and paramedics, Kash said.

The man also spat at safety crews, causing police to put a “spit hood” over his head to protect themselves, Kash said, explaining that the hood resembles a ski mask.

Comer took the stand in his own defense and testified that he didn’t remember anything. His lawyer argued that Comer’s actions were “involuntary,” and that he was in “some kind of subconscious sleep mental state,” Kash said.

Kash scoffs at Comer’s claims.

“This guy was tanked,” Kash said.

“My opinion is that he was just intoxicated to the point where he didn’t know what he was doing – and he can’t defend against that.”

A blood-alcohol test at Bethesda North Hospital registered 0.27 – more than triple the legal limit for Ohio drivers – and that was five hours after Comer’s last drink, Kash said.