Dylan Hunter, 21, of Kennet Rise, Marlborough, was sent to prison for four years at Swindon Crown Court on Tuesday for biting off part of the ear of his sister’s boyfriend in a drunken attack last July.
After a chance meeting with Joseph Donnelly, whose right arm was in a sling at the time, Hunter head butted him, and then sunk his teeth into his ear following a family feud.
Judge Tim Mousley QC told Hunter: “This was a savage and vicious attack by you. It resulted in extreme pain for Mr Donnelly. It caused a serious injury. This was not the first time that you had assaulted him by biting him to his face.”
The court was told that there had been bad blood between the two men after Mr Donnelly split up with Hunter’s elder sister Rhona, with whom he was living, amid rows over money and a feeling that he had benefited from their association.
At the time of the attack Mr Donnelly, who had badly cut his hand while working as a chef, had his right arm strapped to his chest. He was walking home from the pub with friends when Hunter approached from behind and in an ensuing row headed butted him in the face and then bit his ear.
“Dylan Hunter lunged towards him, got hold of Joseph Donnelly’s ear between his teeth and he bit hard,” said prosecutor Miss Hannah Squire.
“Joseph Donnelly screamed loudly, it was clear the pain was excruciating. He could hear a crunching noise. Dylan Hunter continued to bite down on his ear and he could feel part of his ear detach and come loose. He continued to scream because of the intensity of the pain.”
Friends managed to pull Hunter off him and he spat out the chunk of flesh saying ‘Look, I got a piece of his ear,’ before running off.”
Kevin Farquarson, defending, said his client was sorry for what he had done in the drunken attack after a chance meeting, adding: “It is a grotesque injury that has left a young man with a disfigurement that he will be left with for the rest of his life,” he said.
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