Court gives ear biter parole

A MAN who overstayed his welcome in a Townsville family’s household had a chunk of his ear bitten off in a drunken dispute.

Christopher James Pascoe, 31, was annoyed that his partner’s brother had stayed for a month and regularly brought a woman over late at night, despite there being children in the house.

On October 21 last year, after an evening of drinking, the man entered his bedroom and a fight broke out.

Pascoe pleaded guilty in Townsville District Court yesterday to assault causing bodily harm as a domestic violence offence.

Crown prosecutor Will Slack said Pascoe was drinking with his partner and the victim on the night.

After Pascoe had gone to bed, the man entered his room.

Pascoe threw a punch and the man jabbed at him in self defence. Pascoe lunged, grab- bed his head and bit the top of his ear off.

Mr Slack said injury was “quite severe”.

“The ragged parts of the ear and cartilage were cut off when he was treated in hospital,” he said.

When police found Pascoe he was wandering the streets “highly intoxicated”.

Defence barrister Harvey Walters said the man stayed with his sister and Pascoe after his relations h i p broke down and had “made no effort to move out”.

“There was some consternation with my client and his partner because the gentleman had been bringing a woman into the home late at night for his satisfaction,” he said.

“There had been some discussions with him that perhaps he should look for accommodation elsewhere.”

Mr Slack said Pascoe was sentenced for serious assault of a police officer in 2014.

“That involved police responding to a loud disturbance in Morehead St in South Townsville,” he said.

“He wrestled with a police officer and bit the officer three times on his hands.”

In June 2016, Pascoe faced court for wielding machetes and yelling death threats at 2am in suburban Townsville.

Pascoe was sentenced in District Court in 2008 for breaking into a woman’s house and threatening to “smash her” and kill her son.

Another time he got angry while drinking and swung knives at a woman. A man intervened and ended up with cuts to his hands and neck.

Mr Walters said Pascoe had recently taken “extensive steps” to deal with his alcohol problem.

Chief Judge Kerry O’Brien sentenced Pascoe to two years’ jail, with immediate parole.

“The report I have from the Department of Corrections speaks favourably of your efforts at the rehabilitation centre,” he said.