By Editor,Nicholas Comino
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Inmate has a piece of his EAR bitten off during violent prison volleyball game
Man pleads guilty to biting ear off
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By NICHOLAS COMINO, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA
Published: 14:19 BST, 3 October 2025 | Updated: 14:25 BST, 3 October 2025
A violent prison brawl over a volleyball game has left one inmate permanently disfigured after his ear was bitten off in a shocking attack.
The brutal fight erupted during what began as a friendly match at Canberra’s Alexander Maconochie Centre on June 25, before it spiralled into a savage assault.
Benjamin John Wickes, 33, has now been handed an extra one year, five months and five days behind bars after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm and choking his fellow inmate.
The ACT Supreme Court heard Wickes was playing on the opposing team when tensions suddenly boiled over.
He stormed under the net to confront the other prisoner before tackling him to the ground.
What followed was described in court as a ‘high degree of violence’ that left the victim with permanent injuries.
Justice Verity McWilliam said Wickes sank his teeth into the man’s ear with such force he tore off a chunk before spitting it out.
Wickes also punched the victim repeatedly, gouged at his eyes and placed him in a chokehold as the man tried desperately to escape.
An inmate at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (pictured) pleaded guilty to biting off a man’s ear
The judge ruled the violence was opportunistic rather than premeditated, but the consequences were devastating.
Despite completing rehabilitation courses while on remand, Wickes showed ‘no genuine remorse’ for the shocking assault.
Wickes’ disadvantaged upbringing and personal struggles were noted, but his lengthy criminal history, including multiple violent offences, meant leniency was off the table.
Wickes was already serving time for unrelated matters.
His latest sentence will be served partially concurrently, with his earliest chance at parole set for November 19.
The Alexander Maconochie Centre, Australia’s first purpose-built human rights-compliant prison, has been rocked by a series of disturbing incidents, prompting renewed calls for urgent reform.
In a damning ruling last month, the ACT Supreme Court recently found that the prison breached the human rights of Aboriginal detainee Julianne Williams.
The court heard Williams was subjected to force, an attempted strip search, and a full strip search while in a state of extreme distress, after being denied permission to attend her grandmother’s funeral.
The ACT Human Rights Commission has voiced concerns about Canberra’s only prison
The court acknowledged Williams’ traumatic background and ruled that the actions taken against her were unlawful and violated her dignity.
The ACT Human Rights Commission has warned that the prison’s legal obligations to treat detainees with respect have become secondary to operational concerns.
The Commission has called on the government to implement a comprehensive, ongoing human rights education and training package for all employees in the prison.
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Inmate has a piece of his EAR bitten off during violent prison volleyball game
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