Man pleads guilty to attack in Cork Prison where prisoner’s ear was bitten off

The investigation into an attack in Cork Prison where a prisoner had his left ear bitten off resulted in a 28-year-old man pleading guilty to the attack today.

Detective Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan originally arrested Roman Becvár and charged him with assault causing serious harm to another prisoner, under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.

He was charged under Section 4 of the act — the most serious category of non-fatal assault.

Through a Czech interpreter at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, the defendant was arraigned on the single charge of assault causing serious harm, and he pleaded guilty. His senior counsel, Elizabeth O’Connell, said he was receiving mental health support from an organisation in the prison, and she asked for a report to be made available to the court at sentencing.

Prosecution barrister Paula McCarthy said a victim impact statement would have to be prepared.

Judge Helen Boyle remanded the accused in custody for sentencing on November 6.

The charge states that the assault occurred on April 9, 2023, on a prisoner at Cork Prison.