Prisoner permanently lost ear after cellmate bit it off, court hears
Olivia Kelleher
A prisoner at Cork Prison had his left ear bitten off by his cellmate who attacked him during a psychotic episode, a court has heard.
Roman Becvár (28) of no fixed abode previously pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to another prisoner at Cork Prison.
The 45-year-old victim of the unprovoked attack was not able to have his ear reattached. He has opted not to have a prosthesis.
Det Sgt Kieran O’Sullivan told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the incident occurred shortly before 10 pm on April 9th, 2023.
Mr Becvár and his fellow prisoner had been sharing a cell for a week without any incident when the assault occurred.
The prisoner recalled that he was just about to go to sleep on his bunk in his cell when the accused asked him for tobacco. Det Sgt O’Sullivan said that the injured party told him that he didn’t have any.
“The next thing he remembers is Mr Becvár banging on the inside door of the cell. Prison staff entered. They discovered the injured party lying on the cell floor in a pool of blood.
"Mr 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.”
Dt Sgt O’Sullivan said that the ear was located in the blood on the floor. The injured man was taken to Cork University Hospital for treatment.
Mr Becvár has no recollection of the assault. However, he had injuries on his knuckles consistent with having assaulted a person. CCTV in the area of the cell was harvested.
It showed that nobody entered the locked cell. It was established that the only person who could be responsible for the assault was the accused.
Judge Helen Boyle was told that in addition to losing an ear, the victim suffered injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. This included cheekbone and jawbone fractures.
Mr Becvár, who is a Czech national, has four previous convictions which arose from an incident of aggravated burglary in 2023. A victim impact statement was handed in to the judge for her consideration. Det Sgt O’Sullivan said that the victim wanted to put the incident behind him.
“He lost his ear and is coming to terms with it.”
Defence senior counsel, Elizabeth O’Connell said that her client lacked proficiency in English.
As a result, no psychiatric history was elicited, and none was forthcoming in the short period in which he had been in prison.
She said that he is now in solitary confinement in prison.
Ms O’Connell described the condition of her client as being “stable”.
No further incidents have occurred since he was prescribed anti-psychotic medication.
She said that but for the psychotic episode the assault would not have occurred. Mr Becvár previously worked on a farm in Ireland, having been brought to this country in a “trafficked manner.
Ms O’Connell added that her client had “a diagnosis of psychosis possibly up to schizophrenia.”
Judge Boyle remanded Mr Becvár in continuing custody for sentencing on November 14th next to allow her time to consider various reports.
The accused required the assistance of an interpreter in court.
