A man whose victim killed himself three months after part of his face was bitten off was yesterday jailed for seven years.
Neil Hawkins (35) was jailed yesterday at Belfast Crown Court for the attack on prison officer George Owens.
In May last year as Mr Owens (48) was walking home from Whitehead Golf Club, he spotted Hawkins "taking swipes" at passing cars and after telling him to "wise up", Hawkins attacked him, biting off a large part of his left ear and nose before kicking and punching his wife Susan and then trying to strangle him.
The court heard the "severe disfigurement" suffered by Mr Owens had left him "deeply distressed" and at the end of August last year he took his own life.
Hawkins was told by Mr Justice Hart that although it could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the attack and suicide were linked, "his disfigurement must have had a considerable effect on him".
However, he said a report from a consultant psychiatrist had stated that "it is highly likely that [ the attack] contributed significantly to Mr Owens' suicide".
Hawkins, from Islandmagee, had originally been charged with trying to murder Mr Owens but that was left on the books after he pleaded guilty to wounding him with intent and also to inflicting actual bodily harm on his wife.
Hawkins had previous convictions for violence including one when he wielded a metre-long Samurai sword. He was out on bail for that incident when he attacked Mr Owens.