Police attended Simonie Antonie's Meads Avenue address on Monday evening on an unrelated matter only to later arrest the 43-year-old on a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm after discovering her partner of three months with a wound to his earlobe.

Documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday reveal the man greeted officers at the door of the unit with the words "watch out for the blood".

The constables said they saw several drops of blood on the front landing and noticed the victim was bleeding from the earlobe.

When questioned, he allegedly told police Antonie had had "a bit of an emotional moment" that day and he'd retreated to his own home to "give her space".

"I've been at my place all day just giving her some space," he said.

"She's responded physically and aggressively, she's had an emotional moment. She's just reefed on it [his earring] and it's torn my ear."

Antonie allegedly told police she and her partner had been involved in a "scuffle", at which time she "accidentally tore the earring out in self-defence".

She was arrested and taken to Wollongong Police Station where she was charged and refused bail overnight.

In court on Tuesday, defence lawyer Stewart Holt entered a not guilty plea to the charge on Antonie's behalf, saying she maintained that she'd been acting in self-defence at the time.

"She spoke with police and explained she'd torn his ear in self-defence," Mr Holt said.

He said Antonie suffered from a complex history of trauma and was receiving regular treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

"If she's released on bail she can continue getting treatment to assist with her trauma," he said.

Magistrate Susan McGowan agreed to release Antonie provided she report to police three times a week and not have any contact with the alleged victim.

The case was set down for hearing in November.