Bar owner pays for biting man's ear off

The incident occurred at the Bullock Bar in Wanaka. Photo / Supplied

A Wanaka bar owner who "exploded" and bit the earlobe off an "obnoxious" patron was sentenced yesterday to eight months' home detention and ordered to pay his victim $10,000.

Sean Michael Colbourne, 43, was found guilty of the attack on Nicholas Gee, 25, who requires ongoing skin grafts and surgery for the resultant permanent disfigurement.

The October 24 brawl in which the incident occurred was at the Perfect Woman after-party at the Bullock Bar.

In the Queenstown District Court yesterday, Judge Raoul Neave said Mr Gee had been drinking and had resisted when asked to leave.

Colbourne stepped in to try to resolve the matter and after Mr Gee again refused to leave, the "bouncers became involved and the battle was joined", the judge said.

Colbourne headbutted Mr Gee to the ground, rendering him "vulnerable" and "incapacitated" by sitting on him.

"It's at this point - to use the common parlance - you lost the plot," Judge Neave told the accused.

Colbourne bit the ear with "such force" as to remove the lower half. He then spat out the flesh, which landed on another bar patron's shoe.

The ear segment was recovered but surgical reattachment failed.

Judge Neave said Mr Gee would be permanently disfigured and required two skin graft operations at Dunedin Hospital.

Colbourne was an "otherwise productive" member of the Lakes District community who had shown remorse for the attack and whose personality might have changed since brain surgery and a nervous breakdown in 2007.

His offer of $10,000 emotional harm reparation should not be seen as paying for justice, but as a "generous recognition of what you have done to the complainant", Judge Neave said.

Colbourne was convicted of injuring with intent and given eight months' home detention and 250 hours' community work and was ordered to pay $10,000 in emotional harm reparation.

The event where the brawl happened raised up to $30,000 for cancer victims - a mitigating factor Judge Neave took into account during sentencing.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES