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Everest survivor bit cocktail bar manager's arm
AN Irish climber who cheated death in an avalanche on Mount Everest has admitted biting and injuring the manager of a Dublin cocktail bar.
Paul Greenan (38) had too much to drink before he bit into the man's arm as he was being put out of the bar and restaurant last year.
Dublin District Court heard since the assault, Greenan has been seriously injured in a Mount Everest avalanche that claimed the lives of 17 people.
He was climbing Everest when the avalanche struck in the aftermath of an earthquake in Nepal in April this year.
His lawyer pleaded with Judge Michael Walsh to leave Greenan without a criminal record so he can continue travelling for charity work.
Judge Walsh deferred his decision for a week.
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Greenan, of Broomfield Hall, Shankill, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Robert Caldwell at Peruke and Periwig on Dawson Street on August 3, 2014.
The court heard he was being escorted outside by Mr Caldwell when they got into a struggle and Greenan bit him on the right forearm.
Gardai found Greenan to be in "a little bit of shock" at the scene, but he was calm and not aggressive, and co-operated.
He had made an unprompted apology to Mr Caldwell and paid him €5,000 in compensation.
Judge Walsh asked the victim if there was any "permanent disfigurement", to which he replied: "a little bit, yeah, on my forearm."
The accused was working in the family plant hire business, his solicitor said. On the night, he was out with his girlfriend and had too much to drink.
"He was held in a stranglehold and thought he was about to lost consciousness," his solicitor said of the incident.
"That is not to diminish what happened to the victim."
"He lost his head on one particular night", and what happened was "utterly out of character".
He escaped with his life from the avalanche, but had "catastrophic" injuries including a broken pelvis, his solicitor said.
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