Sacked worker tried to get his job back before biting boss' ear off

A worker who failed to win back his old job and then bit off a boss' ear has been jailed.
Teesside Crown CourtTeesside Crown Court
Teesside Crown Court

Andrew Hudson, 33, “was desperate to get his job back” when he went to a Hartlepool bakery and ended up in a fight with a foreman.

The court heard Hudson has a string of offences on his record including a previous offence of biting a police officer’s ear.

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Hudson said from the dock at Teesside Crown Court that he thought he was fighting for his life at the bakery.

Prosecutor Emma Atkinson told the court that Hudson and the owner’s son had become embroiled in an exchange on Facebook after he was “released” by the company last year.

Hudson said to the victim: “Let’s sort this out man to man”, the court heard.

But the owner’s son, who was also the foreman, did not take him up on it, the court heard.

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Hudson went to the bakery on May 25 last year and they shook hands, and Hudson was allowed inside to talk to a former colleague.

But the court was told the vicitm heard Hudson make derogatory remarks about him.

A struggle broke out and Hudson got the victim in a headlock.

Hudson then picked up a rolling pin after the man armed himself with a hammer, before Hudson went on to bite his ear.

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The victim ended up in hospital where he had surgery and he was left with perminent scarring.

Hudson told police that he felt he had to bite him.

The victim was not able to work for a number of weeks.

Ms Atkinson said that Hudson had 20 convictions for 46 offences including violence when he bit a police officer’s ear.

Mark Styles, defending, said the victim also had convictions including armed robbery with a firearm.

He said: “Its clear he should not have gone there that night. But he was desperate to get his job back.

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“It’s quite clear that the complainant did arm himself with a hammer.

“Set against the background of what the defendant knew about him, the defendant thought he was going to use it.

“After the incident he went home and telephoned the police straightaway, telling them the complainant had been armed with a hammer.”

Mr Styles said that the delay in reaching sentence had caused an enormous amopunt of stress for Hudson, who was a hard worker and was responsible for four children.

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Judge Shaun Morris said: “Because of the circumstances of the actual fight, I’m going to deal with you on the basis of self-defence gone too far.

“But at the end of the day people who bite people’s ears off go away.”

Hudson, of Shakespeare Avenue, Hartlepool, who pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm was jailed for 14 months.