JITRA: A clerk who tried to stop his stepson from attacking his wife lost part of his right earlobe when the stepson bit it off early yesterday. No one could find the missing piece of earlobe following the attack, leading to the possibility that the stepson may have swallowed it.

The clerk, who only wanted to be identified as Yob, 49, said he was at home in Kampung Kelubi about 12.15am when he and his wife heard a knock on the door.

"When I opened the door, my stepson rushed in, ran towards my wife and pulled out a knife," he said.

Yob grabbed his stepson and in the ensuing struggle, the knife was dropped.

In a bid to break loose, the stepson bit Yob's earlobe off.

Yob's wife, who is in her 40s, then contacted police who later arrested the 27-year-old stepson.

The young man was believed to be high on drugs at the time of the attack.

Yob received two stitches for his injuries at Jitra Hospital.