‘You seem to have been totally out of control’

A couple on a night out at Slice of Heaven were approached by an aggressive teenager who punched the young man and bit his ear necessitating four stitches and plastic surgery.

Inspector Brian O’Donovan said yesterday it was an unprovoked assault.

Aaron Mealy, aged 18, of 103 Douglas St, Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm on April 29, 2017.

Judge Tim Lucey said: “This is a serious assault, giving someone a box in a restaurant and then biting them in the ear. Those are the facts — serious stuff.

“You seem to have been totally out of control. You have a difficult background. I accept that. But that does not mean you can go around assaulting people. I have to make sure the public is protected from people who assault people for no reason. And if you do you have to take the consequences.”

Judge Lucey jailed Mealy for five months.

Insp O’Donovan said: “The injured party and his fiancée were in the Slice of Heaven on Douglas St waiting for their food when Aaron Mealy approached them in an aggressive manner for no apparent reason.

“Aaron Mealy then threw a punch at the man for no reason which resulted in the two of them getting into an argument that spilled out on to Douglas St.

“There was a further assault outside the premises where the injured party suffered a bite to his left ear which required four stitches and plastic surgery.

“It was evident that he was a victim of a totally unprovoked assault by Mr Mealy.”

Mealy is presently serving an 18-month sentence for another assault.

Yesterday’s sentence will run concurrently with that.