GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for biting off his ex-girlfriend's lip.

Greenville prosecutor Walt Wilkins told news outlets that 23-year-old Seth Aaron Fleury pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and battery Thursday. Wilkins said Fleury met his ex-girlfriend last October in Simpsonville to discuss their relationship. The prosecutor said Fleury became angry when she refused to resume the relationship and he tried to kiss her.

When she pulled away, he bit down so hard her bottom lip was torn off. Wilkins says surgeons were unable to reattach the lip and she has serious scarring and limited range of motion with her mouth. Fleury will have to serve at least 10 years of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.