A man who is already serving a five-year term for killing a man has been given a three-year sentence for biting a part of an ear off.
Paul Rice (27) is serving five years for beating his best friend to death in a drunken brawl. He was given a three-year term to run alongside it yesterday after pleading guilty to mutilating another friend’s ear during a fight seven months earlier.
Since 2009 Rice has been living in North Ireland after fleeing in the wake of the killing. He was arrested last year on a European arrest warrant and confessed to killing Keith Mills after the pair had been drinking together for two days.
Last June, Judge Margaret Heneghan imposed a seven-year sentence with two suspended on Rice.
Rice later pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Leon Charlotte at Parnell Park in May 2008.
Garda Aisling O’Neill told Fiona Murphy, prosecuting, that Rice was at a carnival in Parnell Park when he met his friend Mr Charlotte, then 17. The two got into a row. At one point Mr Charlotte was being attacked by Rice’s sister and punched her in the face.
Rice then came from behind and bit into Mr Charlotte’s ear, taking a chunk off the top.