A MAN bit off half of his girlfriend’s ear during a fight, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Remy Pongi Ngoma (42) had hoped to marry the woman who, unknown to him, was eight weeks pregnant to another man at the time of the assault.
He has offered €4,000 compensation to fund plastic surgery for her partially amputated ear.
Ngoma, of Brompton Grove, Castleknock, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting the woman at his home on March 3rd, 2007.
Judge Katherine Delahunt remanded him on continuing bail while she considers a sentence.
Garda David Mayne told prosecuting counsel, Colm O Brian, that the couple had known each other in the Congo and began a relationship in Ireland in July 2006 after meeting by chance on the street.
The woman told gardaí that when she told Ngoma in March 2007 that she wanted to end the relationship he began to hit her head and then bit a piece off her ear and spat it out.
Ngoma told gardaí that the woman had grabbed his penis and was biting him on the arm when he retaliated. He said he was protecting himself in “a misunderstanding between boyfriend and girlfriend” and was “disappointed” at his actions.
The woman ran screaming from the house and neighbours called an ambulance.
Ngoma retrieved the piece of ear and wrapped it in tissue. He travelled with her to the hospital but surgeons could not reattach the upper half of her left ear.
Garda Mayne said Ngoma had been in the country for nine years and had no previous convictions. He said there had been “mutual contact” between the pair since this incident.
Garda Mayne agreed with defence counsel, Justin Dillon, that Ngoma had a bite mark on his bicep consistent with the account he gave to gardaí and that he had shown “extreme remorse”.
He also agreed that Ngoma had shown “every intention of putting it right” and was prepared to pay €4,000 towards surgical costs, which was acceptable to the woman. Mr Dillon said Ngoma had shown “enormous remorse” from the moment of his arrest, had a “blemish-free record” and had not come to further Garda attention.