A MAN shouting ‘I’m Chucky, I’m Chucky’ kicked and punched his victim moments after biting part of his ear off during a brawl in the streets.

Kalem Lodge squared up to the man following a confrontation about a cigarette outside a pub in Hartlepool before launching into the unprovoked attack, Teesside Crown Court heard.

And in a bizarre twist the judge was told that Lodge’s victim had written a letter to the court urging them to be lenient with the defendant and hoped to ‘meet up with him for a drink’.

The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent as a result of the violence on September 6 last year outside The Mill House.

Lodge also pleaded guilty to affray and possession of a machete following a row about people blowing money raised in fundraising appeal to buy drugs in September this year.

The Northern Echo:

The Mill House pub in Hartlepool

Outlining the first incident Vicki Lamballe, prosecuting, said: “The defendant hit the victim and they both fell to the floor, whilst they were on the floor the defendant bit part of the ear off the victim; he then got to his feet and he shouted ‘I’m Chucky, I’m Chucky’ before kicking and punching the victim on the ground.

“The victim picked up part of his ear and went back into the pub. The police were flagged down and when the went into the pub, they found the victim with a bloody towel to his head and part of his ear in ice.

“He was taken to hospital but they were unable to reattach his ear.”

The court was told that the victim didn't want to give evidence against Lodge and wasn't affected by his injury.

Dealing with the second incident, which happened on Lodge’s 30th birthday, Miss Lamballe said the defendant went to confront someone he believed had used cash from a fundraiser for a dead friend to buy drugs.

She said he was armed with a machete but when he arrived at the home in Hartlepool he was confronted by the man who aimed a handgun at the defendant’s head.

The court heard how the weapon turned out to be a high-powered air weapon.

In mitigation, Stephen Constantine, said his client had suffered issues since his childhood which continued to impact on his life and had pleaded guilty on the day of the trial despite key witnesses refusing to attend court.

Addressing the first charge, he said: “He clearly has made inroads in trying to put some of what he did wrong right and the complainant clearly has the perception that the defendant is full of remorse for his actions.”

Dealing with the second incident, he told the judge that Lodge didn’t react when confronted with the gun and laid the machete down on the ground. It was subsequently recovered by police when they attended the property in the Mulgrave Road area of the town.

He added: “The incident ended in some kind of reconciliation with Mr Lodge and the other man embracing each other.”

The judge Recorder Alistair MacDonald QC sentenced Lodge to four years in prison for the GBH with intent and a consecutive 12-month sentence for affray and possession of the machete, which will run concurrently.

He said: “I have seen letters written by the victim which I think are remarkable in the sense that he would like to meet up for a drink shortly but that is not going to be possible.”