Latest news with #Gosforth
The Sun
12 hours ago
- The Sun
Horror moment tree surgeon bites off EAR of ‘bar-room bore' and spits it on the floor in gruesome pub brawl
THIS is the disturbing moment a tree surgeon bit the ear off a pub-goer in a shocking brawl. The gruesome scene unfolded at The Kellbank Hotel and Restaurant, in Gosforth, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear on July 8, 2023. 7 7 Horror CCTV footage captures Paul Connor, a tree surgeon and dad-of-two, wrestling with Christopher Hewer inside the venue. Two women, and a male staff member, attempt to separate the pair, to no avail. One of the women, Hewer's partner Antonia Holliday, wearing a long floral skirt and black top, gets involved in the scrap. She can be seen violently punching Connor, before a third female, rushes in and slams the her into a wall. The woman, wearing a white jumper, is then violently dragged back by the hair, by Hewer. At this point there are five pub-goers tangled together and scrambling on the floor. Hewer can even be spotted stamping on one woman's head and face before Connor jumps in and drags him off. Still swinging, thug Hewer is punched by Connor again and the pair are restrained by two staff members. Carlisle Crown Court heard Connor spat the appliance engineer's ear off before a woman nearby picked it up and wrapped it in a napkin. The chaotic fight was sparked at just before midnight after a "drunken" Hewer was talking loudly to customers' faces, the court heard. He struck up a conversation with Connor, who was unknown to him. An irritated Connor tried to ditch Hewer, who then walked away, but then came back and tried to punch him. Prosecutor Tim Evans said: "It to the credit of a number of people, none more so than the staff member, that they try to stop the violence." Connor, aged 33, of Fenton Close, Speke, Liverpool, admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and also affray. 7 7 7 Hewer, aged 44, of West View Road; and Holliday, 36, of Hinnings Road, both Distington, admitted affray. Connor's barrister Kim Whittlestone told the court her client's behaviour was out of character and "something snapped". Mitigating for Hewer, Marion Weir said: "Even after two years he is feeling the effects." Judge Michael Fanning sentenced Connor to four-and-a-half years in jail. Sentencing Connor Judge Fanning said: "But I have to deal with you for what you have done - you have used a weapon to inflict this injury. "Use of the teeth is a weapon." Hewer received an immediate 18-month prison sentence. Sentencing Hewer Judge Fanning said: "You started this. "You provoked Mr Connor to the position he found himself in - you came out of this very much the loser with a very serious injury." Holliday's 15-month custodial term was suspended for a year, as the judge noted she was the sole carer of two children. She must complete 200 hours' unpaid work and also received an alcohol ban. 7
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment drinker bites off EAR of 'bar room bore' and spits it on the ground as both are jailed over vicious pub brawl
A drinker shockingly bit off a pub goer's ear and spat it out in a brutal bar brawl caught on CCTV. Paul Connor sunk his teeth into Christopher Hewer's ear, tearing it clean off before spitting it onto leaving a horrified woman to scoop it up. The moment came during a fight at the reception of The Kellbank Hotel and Restaurant in Gosforth, Newcastle. A court heard how the woman placed the ear on serviette, as staff desperately tried to contain the chaos. And Connor later posed for a police mugshot that clearly showed the ear missing. Violence erupted just before midnight on July 8, 2023, after a 'drunken' and loud-mouthed Hewer was seen irritating fellow punters by getting in their faces. Hewer staggered across and was being a 'bar-room bore' and started talking to tree surgeon Connor, who moved away from the 'incessant chat' as staff tried to calm things, Prosecutor Tim Evans told Carlisle Crown Court. Hewer initially walked off but then came back to the bar and threw a punch towards Connor's seated group. And matters quickly exploded when they moved to the hotel reception, and 'violence continues and significantly escalates', and a six-person fight kicks off, Mr Evans added. Hewer's partner, Antonia Holliday, could be seen punching out at another customer, and being punched. Connor kicked her, was punched by her and was then punched by Hewer before the two exchanged more blows. In a harrowing escalation, Connor then used both hands to grab Hewer's head, leaning towards him and biting his left ear completely off before spitting it onto the ground. Hewer initially appeared oblivious to the savage act, while Holliday fell after being punched to the head by Connor. Mr Evans said: 'It is to the credit of a number of people, none more so than the staff member, that they try to stop the violence.' Connor, 33, of Speke, Liverpool, admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and also affray. Hewer, 44, and Holliday, 36, both from Distington, admitted affray. Kim Whittlestone, defending Connor, said the father-of-two had acted out of character as 'something snapped' when he was provoked. Appliance engineer Hewer, who appeared in the dock wearing a head bandage on June 20, had undergone a medical procedure earlier in the week in preparation for having a prosthetic ear fitted in. 'Even after two years, he is feeling the effects,' said Marion Weir, mitigating, adding that Holliday acted 'entirely out of character'. Connor received a four-and-a-half-year jail term from Judge Michael Fanning, who accepted he was provoked by Hewer and had not gone looking for trouble. Jailing him, Judge Fanning said: 'But I have to deal with you for what you have done - you have used a weapon to inflict this injury. 'Use of the teeth is a weapon.' Hewer was jailed for 18 months while Holliday's 15-month custodial term was suspended for a year, with the judge noting she was the sole carer of two children. Sentencing Hewer Judge Fanning said: 'You started this. 'You provoked Mr Connor to the position he found himself in - you came out of this very much the loser with a very serious injury.' Holliday must complete 200 hours' unpaid work and also received an alcohol ban.
BBC News
7 days ago
- BBC News
Gosforth bar brawl sees two jailed after man's ear bitten off
Two men have been jailed over a late-night brawl which saw one of them tear the other's ear off with his was captured by CCTV footage inside the Kellbank Hotel and Restaurant, Gosforth, Cumbria, at about midnight on 8 July Tim Evans told Carlisle Crown Court that a drunk Christopher Hewer was "being the bar-room bore" and a fight involving several people ensued after he approached stranger Paul Connor, who initially tried to move away from his "incessant chat".The pair came to blows and Connor used both hands to grab Hewer's head, leaning towards him and biting his left ear completely off before spitting it on to the ground. A stunned female bystander collected the severed ear in a serviette, the court heard, as customers and the only member of staff attempted to stop the 33, of Fenton Close, Speke, Liverpool, admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and also affray. He received a four-and-a-half year jail term from Judge Michael Fanning, who accepted he was provoked by Hewer and had not gone looking for trouble. "But I have to deal with you for what you have done," said the judge. "You have used a weapon to inflict this injury. Use of the teeth is a weapon."Hewer, 44, of West View Road in Distington, near Workington, admitted affray and was handed an 18-month prison sentence. "You provoked Mr Connor to the position he found himself in," said Judge Fanning. "You came out of this very much the loser with a very serious injury." The court heard Hewer's partner Antonia Holliday, 36, of Hinnings Road, Distington, also took part in the violence that footage shown during the hearing showed her punching out at another customer, and being punched. Connor kicked Holliday and was punched by her, before the physical altercation with was given a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, with the judge noting she was the sole carer of two children. She must complete 200 hours of unpaid work and an alcohol judge considered background information on all three, hearing they were sorry for their a tree surgeon and dad-of-two, had acted out of character as "something snapped" when he was provoked, said his barrister Kim engineer Hewer, who wore a head bandage during the sentencing hearing, underwent a medical procedure earlier this week with a view to a prosthetic ear being available to him. "Even after two years he is feeling the effects," said Marion Weir, mitigating. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Postman follows in father's footsteps by celebrating 100th birthday
A WELL-known former serviceman and village postman is following in his father's footsteps as he celebrates his 100th birthday. Tommy Bell, of Gosforth, marked his milestone birthday on May 18 with a surprise pie and peas supper at the New Life Church in Whitehaven and a birthday cake made by his daughter, Janice. Tommy Bell received a card from the King for his 100th birthday (Image: Family handout) He was also presented with two shields from The Royal Border Regiment and The Duke of Lancaster Regiment and received a card from the King. It was a full circle moment for the centenarian, who in 1987 delivered a 100th birthday card from the Queen to his dad, James Bell, while working as a postman. A young Tommy Bell (right) pictured with his younger brother, Gordon, mum Maud and dad James (Image: Family handout) When asked how he felt about turning 100, Mr Bell said: 'Not too bad. I didn't expect all this and all these people coming to see us.' Mr Bell was born near Kendal on May 18,1925. When he was two, he moved to Scotland, where his dad worked as a gamekeeper. Tommy Bell celebrates his 100th birthday with daughter, Janice (Image: Newsquest) The family moved from Scotland to Muncaster in 1942 when Mr Bell was 17 and his dad was gamekeeper for the Muncaster estate. In December 1944, Mr Bell went to Windsor to enlist with the Royal Horse Guards. He was transferred to the Royal Welsh Guards for nine months and then went to Durranhill Barracks. He was in the Border Regiment and served in India for two years. He spent time in Bombay, Calcutta and Bengaluru and said it was 'very hot'. Mr Bell returned to England in 1947 and finished in the Second Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, based in Stockport. He left the army when he was 22 and then worked on the railways for 13 years. Tommy Bell, pictured in his younger years, has marked his 100th birthday (Image: Family handout) He married his first wife, Thelma, in Distington in 1960 and their first daughter Janice was born the same year. They had another daughter, Lorna in 1963. In 1975, he remarried to Janet, who passed away three years ago. Mr Bell has grandchildren Nicola, Sarah, Rory, Jack and Joanna and two great-grandchildren, Castiel and Chloe. Mr Bell is well-known in Gosforth, where he worked as a postman for 30 years and enjoyed 'having a good crack' with residents. He then worked as a bank guard at NatWest for five years in Seascale and later in Egremont. Tommy Bell celebrates his 100th birthday at the New Life Church in Whitehaven with a cake made by his daughter, Janice (Image: Family handout) He used to play the accordion, playing in bands and in church and he still enjoys playing the keyboard. He attends New Life Church in Whitehaven. Genetics have no doubt played a role in Mr Bell's longevity - his dad lived to be 106 - but when asked what the secret to a long life was, Mr Bell said it was 'staying active'. His dad could always be found on the moors, even in later life. Tommy Bell used to play the accordion and still enjoys playing the piano (Image: Family handout) Mr Bell still enjoys going for walks and says he 'used to walk for miles'.
