Drunk bit off ear in charity night fight

Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday David Hoare, 31, was with his wife and friends at the Hemsworth Miners Welfare Club in Fitzwilliam, Pontefract on March 19 when he got up to check if their taxi had arrived.

But as he went to the door they suddenly swung open as Jack Felstead, who appeared to witnesses to be drunk, barged through them.

Mr Hoare told him to “go steady” and the next thing he knew he was punched by Felstead, falling to the floor and hitting his cheek on a table as he went down.

Andrew Dallas, prosecuting, said Mr Hoare might have been knocked out for a few seconds and when he came round he and his attacker were rolling around on the floor. Felstead had part of Mr Hoare’s left ear in his mouth and was “shaking his head around with it” and he could feel the ear being ripped.

When others separated them Felstead had blood dripping from his mouth and Mr Hoare was bleeding profusely from the injury to his ear. He was taken to Pinderfields Hospital where he had stitches inserted but had lost part of the lobe leaving him with permanent disfigurement.

Meanwhile Felstead was heard at the club bragging: “I’ll show him whose hard.” When his victim’s wife approached him in tears saying she would call the police he threatened to burn down her house.

Tony Kelbrick for Felstead said he felt genuine remorse for what he had done and the injury caused.

Felstead, 21, of Hawthorne Crescent, Hemsworth, near Wakefield admitted wounding Mr Hoare with intent and was jailed for two years eight months.

Recorder Nigel Sangster QC told him: “You bit part of his ear off and that is a very serious offence leaving a permanent injury.”