Articles by EchoLive.ie,Liam Heylin

Health

Four years for man who bit off cellmate’s ear in Cork prison

A man had his ear bitten off in an unprovoked attack by a prisoner with whom he was sharing a cell at Cork Prison, and yesterday the culprit was sentenced to a four-year jail term. Judge Helen Boyle noted that Roman Becvár was diagnosed with psychosis, and this violence was carried out during a psychotic episode. The victim of this serious assault under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act had no previous convictions 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. The victim, 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 to sleep. 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.” “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 added. 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. Defence senior counsel Elizabeth O’Connell 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, prosecution barrister, confirmed that the sentence being served by Mr 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. Judge Boyle said of the injury: “He suffered an almost total avulsion of his left ear and a cheekbone fracture. He will never have what looks like a normal ear again, and the shape of his face is also altered.” The judge said that, consistent with case law, the background mental illness of the defendant had to be taken into consideration as a factor reducing the culpability. She said that the psychotic episode may have been caused by drug use, but that there was no evidence of drugs being taken in prison in the days before the assault, according to the toxicology report on the accused.

Technology

Man used cannabis to treat pain following back injury, Cork court told

A back injury prompted a 39-year-old man to self-medicate on cannabis and to start growing the plants at his home in Cork — until he was caught when gardaí visited with a search warrant. The eight cannabis plants found growing at the home of Zeliko Prstec at Greenhills Court on South Douglas Rd had an anticipated street value of €6,400, said Garda Laura O’Connor at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. However, it was accepted by the prosecution that the accused was not involved in dealing the drug and that he was cultivating it for his own use. He also had small amounts of other drugs, including LSD. The accused made full admissions to growing the cannabis at his home. Defence barrister Elaine Audley said the defendant had written a letter of apology to the judge. “He grew up in Croatia,” said Ms Audley. “He had a particularly traumatic background. He had difficulties with cannabis in his teenage years. He was free of drugs for many years. But he suffered an injury to his back, knee, and shoulder. “He attended his doctor as he should have done. Then, quite wrongly, he decided to self-medicate and began using cannabis for pain. “He fell in with a crowd also using cannabis. He began growing it as well as using it. This experience has been a wake-up call for him.” Judge Helen Boyle, as she imposed sentence, said: “I have a number of letters from your neighbours speaking highly of you. Gardaí arrived for a different reason. “There were four mature plants with lights and four small plants in the back. Smaller amounts of different drugs were also found, including LSD, resin, all for personal use. “You have no previous convictions. Cannabis is a dangerous drug and it can induce psychosis in a young person using it. “There is a probation report. You were fully co-operative. “Instead of using painkillers, you became involved with cannabis and you become involved with people dealing drugs. You are now drug-free, you are working and capable of being a productive member of society. “You have a motivation to remain substance-free. You have fully dealt with and co-operated with the probation service. You are of assistance to your neighbours.” In all the circumstances, the judge imposed an 18-month suspended sentence.