Ex-soldier jailed for biting man’s ear off
AN EX-SOLDIER who dressed as Colonel Gaddafi for a bad taste party was jailed yesterday – for biting off a pub-goer’s ear.
Afghanistan veteran Geraint Jones, 25, donned a black curly wig and bright orange robes when he carried out the “savage” attack at Aberystwyth.
Swansea Crown Court heard the history student sunk his teeth into victim Gwynant Jones, 25, while on the “bad taste” pub crawl dressed as the late tyrant.
The Gaddafi-clad reveller had only been in the bar for six minutes when he bit off his victim’s ear – and spat it on the floor.
Victim Mr Jones then gave police a vivid description of the attacker, who was spotted on CCTV in his garb as the late Libyan dictator.
Now the attacker has been sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Mobile app designer Gwynant Jones, 25, was at the Academy bar when the attack happened.
His attacker, who served on the frontline with the Army, said he had been on a drinking session of more than six hours on October 31 last year. During his trial he said: “I accept biting Gwynant’s ear, that day I started to drink while watching the rugby during the afternoon.
“When I approached him, my intention was to bite his ear. It’s a horrible thing to do but it was not my intention to bite it off.”
The court heard Jones’ victim had been watching the Rugby World Cup on TV before the 11.25pm attack.
He had an operation at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, and needs further reconstructive surgery.
The defendant, of Queen’s Avenue, Aberystwyth, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.
He denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent and was previously cleared by a jury after just 42 minutes.
His Honour Judge Geraint Walters said: “In drink you decided to bite your victim’s ear.
“That is the most savage deployment of force which in any view was wholly unjustified.
“There was something rather clinical in the use of force you admit deploying.”
The court was told Jones bit his victim after there was some “pushing and shoving” at the bar.
Mr Walters said: “You decided to exact some revenge for it. Why use your teeth as a weapon is the point of which I cannot understand.”
The judge accepted that the “mechanism” of Jones biting the ear and others pulling him away resulted in it ripping off.
The court heard Jones had been a member of Pembrokeshire air cadets and also young firefighters.
He was about to enter his third year of international history and politics where he was on course for a first class honours. He served on a tour of Afghanistan – which the judge accepted as a mitigating feature.
Speaking of whether to suspend the sentence, Mr Walters said: “I have given thought as to whether doing the job I am paid to do I can properly come to that conclusion.
“I cannot take the view that this is one of those occasions.”