Man left disfigured after his nose is bitten off in ‘horrific’ attack, court hears

Prosecutors claimed 31-year-old Gerard Devlin inflicted injuries which have left the victim disfigured for life.

A judge was told that at one point Devlin allegedly shouted: “I ate your face.”

He is charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to the man targeted outside a house in the Ballymurphy district on August 6 this year.

During a bail application Crown lawyer Mark Farrell claimed Devlin, with an address at Donegall Road in the city, climbed over a neighbouring wall and went for the victim.

“He said ‘You’re nothing but a nosey b******’ and attacked the injured party, biting a large portion of his nose off,” the barrister contended.

The court heard Devlin fled from the scene before entering another house at Whitecliff Parade, covered in blood.

By the time police arrived he had armed himself with two knives and held them to his own throat, it was claimed.

Mr Farrell added: “From an upstairs bedroom window he shouted ‘I ate your face’.

“The prosecution says that was a reference to the nose-biting incident.”

It was revealed that the victim lost up to 50 percent of the tissue to his nose.

“This was an unprovoked assault which has left a man disfigured for life,” counsel said.

“He has to have a lot of surgery to reconstruct his nose - the injuries inflicted were quite horrific.”

Devlin faces further charges of burglary with intent to steal, common assault and three assaults on police in connection with events that day.

Gavyn Cairns, defending, told the court his client was left traumatised by witnessing his father’s murder 15 years ago.

Gerard Devlin senior was stabbed during a fight outside the family’s Ballymurphy home in 2006.

“His father literally died in this then young person’s arms during what was described as a feud in that area,” Mr Cairns said.

“There is no question that this is someone who at that very tender age would have been scarred.”

He argued that Devlin should be released from custody due to anticipated delay in any trial.

Refusing bail, however, Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan held: “This applicant has had some difficulties in his history, but I’m not convinced the court could manage the risks in this case.”