Man's ear bitten off in unprovoked Cork Prison attack

The 45-year-old victim had no previous convictions and was only remanded in custody for a period of days before the incident

Judge Helen Boyle noted that Roman Becvár was diagnosed with schizophrenia and that this violent act at Cork Prison was carried out during a psychotic episode. Picture: Dan Linehan

A 45-year-old man had his ear was bitten off by a prisoner with whom he was sharing a cell at Cork Prison in a completely unprovoked attack and on Friday, the culprit was sentenced to a four-year jail term.

Judge Helen Boyle noted that Roman Becvár was diagnosed with schizophrenia and that this violent act was carried out during a psychotic episode.

The 45-year-old victim of this serious assault under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act had no previous convictions of any kind and was only remanded in custody for a period of days before his ear was bitten off. 

Detective Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that in fact, he was not convicted on the matter for which he was in prison in the first place.

Becvár, aged 28, pleaded guilty to the crime. 

The victim, who was aged 45 at the time of the attack in April 2023, “does not understand why the assault happened — he got on well with the defendant,” Det Sgt O’Sullivan said.

“The injured party was sharing a cell with the accused for approximately one week. There were no issues between them. The injured party did not remember the incident happening.

“He was lying on the bunk bed, about to go asleep. He remembered Mr Becvár asking him for tobacco. He did not have any. The next thing he remembers is Mr Becvár banging on the inside door of the cell.

'Pool of blood'

“Prison staff entered. They discovered the injured party lying on the cell floor in a pool of blood.

“Roman Becvár was standing against the back wall of the cell with his hands up, blood on his hands and clothing.

“Fortunately, there was a nurse in the area who was on the scene almost immediately. 

"As this nurse attended to the injured party he located the injured party’s ear in the blood on the floor. 

"He was taken to Cork University Hospital for treatment and he remained there for a number of days.

“Roman Becvár had cuts to his knuckles. CCTV was harvested. No other people entered the cell which was locked at the time. He claimed he was acting in self-defence and that the injured party attacked him. He denied biting off his ear [when first interviewed].

“The injured party had no injuries consistent with carrying out an assault, but Mr Becvár did,” the detective said.

While the severed ear was brought to hospital when the injured party was taken there by ambulance, it was not possible to reattach it and he has opted not to have a prosthesis. 

The defendant was serving a three-year sentence at the time for carrying out an aggravated burglary, with the last year suspended on condition that he would leave the country within seven days of his release from prison. 

However, he has been remanded in custody for this serious assault on April 9, 2023.

Elizabeth O’Connell, defending, said the defendant had a “diagnosis of psychosis, possibly up to schizophrenia”. 

Judge Boyle imposed a sentence of four years and six months with the last six months suspended. 

Paula McCarthy, prosecuting, confirmed that the sentence being served by Becvár in April 2023 was completed a year later but he had been remanded in custody afterwards on this assault charge. 

For that reason the sentence of four years was backdated to April 2024.