Chef jailed for biting man’s face in Donegal

A chef who bit into a man’s face during an unprovoked attack has been jailed for two years.

Stephen Fox bit so hard into the face of his victim that he left a hole in his cheek leaving him scarred for life.

Details of the horrific attack, which took place at a house party, were given at Letterkenny Circuit Court in Co Donegal.

Fox, (25), admitted to the brutal attack on Kelvin McLaughlin at the party in April, 2012.

McLaughlin, an architectural student, recalled to Judge John O’Hagan how the attack has changed his life forever. Despite extensive plastic surgery, he has been left with visible scars, while he also continues to suffer psychological torture as a result of the attack.

Both men had been at a party at Oaklands Park in Letterkenny and there had been words between the pair earlier in the night.

Fox called Mr McLaughlin out to the back door and as the pair chatted, Fox lunged at the victim and sunk his teeth into his face. Although the victim fell backwards on to the ground, his attacker remained “locked-on” as he fell.

Mr McLaughlin was rushed to hospital and had to receive extensive treatment at Letterkenny General Hospital and at a plastic surgery unit at St James Hospital in Dublin.

Judge O’Hagan asked the victim to come closer in the witness box so he could see his injuries. Mr McLaughlin, who also suffered a broken nose, described the pain he suffered.

“The pain was horrific and I felt like I was on fire. I was eating painkillers, but I still felt like I was on fire – burning and tingling,” he said.

He said he is still paranoid about his scarring.

“I tried to forget about it but people began saying that I was getting very withdrawn. I didn’t want to see anyone. I used to be very confident but I thought my face was destroyed for life.”

Judge O’Hagan put it to the victim that he was a young man and if he had still been able to have girlfriends and Mr McLaughlin said he had.

His attacker took to the stand and said he wanted to apologise to Mr McLaughlin. He said he thought about contacting his victim by social media to say sorry, but he could not bring himself to do so.

“I want to take back what happened that night – he is scarred for life. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. I have no animosity towards him at all. Even just looking at him is hurting, it’s hurting me.”

He added that although his family had little money, he was prepared to work to put several thousands euro together as some means of compensation to his victim. “He might never accept my apology and I can understand that he may never forgive me for what happened.”

Judge O’Hagan said the attack was unprovoked. “To deliberately bite someone and to engage your teeth in their flesh must require a certain amount of intent. And to do so in the manner it was done could not have had any other real result but than a severe injury.”

He added that he did not think the offer of compensation was a realistic one.

He sentenced Fox to four years in prison on the Section 4 assault charge and suspended the final two years.

He also backdated the sentence to December 22nd last – the date when Fox was arrested by Gardaí after he was extradited on a European Police warrant from Glasgow where he now lives.