A MAN has been jailed after a vicious attack on a man dressed like horror movie character Freddy Krueger.
Andrew Wayne Jones, 22, said he saw the man carrying a horror glove with four blades tied to it by wire.
Jones, of Bryn Eglwys, Wrexham, was due to go on trial yesterday at Mold Crown Court, sitting in Chester, charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent on Matthew Watson, but admitted a lesser charge of GBH, which was accepted by the prosecution, and was jailed for two years.
Mr Watson, who ended up in intensive care after the attack, had agreed he was dressed as the horror character but denied brandishing the horror glove.
He agreed he had made the glove, which he intended to frame, but said he had forgotten the glove was in his pocket that night.
The court heard Jones had initially acted in self-defence when he punched the ‘horror character’ to the ground.
But it was accepted he had gone over the top by then repeatedly kicking and stamping on him.
One witness said Mr Watson was treated like a rag doll and he thought he had been left for dead.
Judge Niclas Parry told Jones he had used unnecessary, gratuitous violence.
“Your attack included repeated kicks on a defenceless man on the ground,” the judge said.
“You were out of control of your senses.”
He added: “I cannot ignore the fact that the complainant entered a public place and spent some considerable time carrying a very dangerous weapon.
“I am prepared to accept this matter began by you attempting to defend yourself from potentially serious harm.”
Jonathan Austin, prosecuting, said Mr Watson went out to buy cigarettes on December 31, 2010. The shop was closed, so he went further afield.
Mr Watson, in his early 20s, was dressed in a black coat and a black trilby hat and looked like Freddy Kreuger, the character from the horror film series Nightmare on Elm Street.
He had no idea how he found himself in Bryn Eglwys, Wrexham, at 12.05am and became quite distressed when he was shown a map indicating how far he had travelled.
His recollection was vague but he remembered words were exchanged.
In the past when people commented about his appearance, he would reply like the horror character and that may have happened that morning.
He was punched by Jones and the next thing he recalled was coming around while being treated in hospital.
Witnesses had seen Jones jump up and down as he appeared to kick and stamp on him and Jones’ brother appeared in his boxer shorts from a nearby address and intervened.
One witness heard Jones say: “Who’s the joker now?”
Police arrived to find Jones and the victim inside the nearby address and a purple leather glove with blades tied to each finger by wire was recovered.
Mr Watson had fractured ribs, injuries to his head including a fracture to his orbit bone, and multiple bruising and lacerations to his head. He needed surgery to his liver and part of the liver had to be removed.
He had been in intensive care for some time and had since received counselling.
David Potter, defending, said Jones had been frightened when he was followed home by a man dressed in black like Freddy Krueger.
Jones stopped near a hedge and pretended to do up his shoe laces to see if the other man was following him.
The complainant approached him and it was the defence case that he was brandishing the glove with the blades.
Jones hit him to the ground which, in the circumstances, was reasonable self-defence.
It was a cold and foggy night and Jones was scared by the figure that approached him and the knives on his glove.
But he accepted that what then happened was excessive and unreasonable.
Mr Potter said it was a bizarre and unusual case and asked the judge to take into account the “provocation beyond the norm.”