Could be she thought she was nuts enough for the both of them. The only thing for certain is that Nicetown, Philadelphia, is a little less nice than it used to be after a 39-year-old woman, AWOL from a mental health facility, relieved her sleeping husband of his testicles.

Howard Randolph admits he refused to return his wife to the psychiatric treatment centre where she’d been committed after repeatedly refusing to take the medication prescribed for her bipolar disorder. He learned his lesson that same night when he awoke to find his wife, Monica, tearing his groin open.

“She didn’t use no weapon,” Randolph recalled. “This was just sheer brute strength and fingernails.” Together for 13 years, Randolph says he’s been assaulted by his wife before, but has now had enough.

Charged with aggravated assault, Monica says she attacked her husband because he had cheated on her. Meanwhile, her brother says the couple had a history of mutual beatings. Howard denied both allegations.

“The only time I ever hit my wife,” he insisted, “was the other day to get her to let go of my balls.”

» Scott Saxon