A drunk man ‘kicked off’ and bit another man on the arm when he was asked to leave a Batley pub during a funeral wake, a court heard.

But the first Gareth Oldroyd, 27, knew about what had happened was when he woke up in police cells, Kirklees Magistrates’ Court was told.

Oldroyd, of Dale Lane, Heckmondwike, subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting Benjamin Sykes and criminal damage to a Honda CRV on July 25.

Prosecutor Bill Astin said: “The defendant was told to leave the Butcher’s Arms public house by the landlady and a number of people tried to usher him out.

“There was a struggle and he became argumentative and has bitten Mr Sykes on the arm.”

The court heard Oldroyd was successfully escorted outside and appeared to calm down but then punched a rear light of the parked Honda car.

Mr Astin said Mr Sykes suffered a superficial mark and did not require medical treatment.

Kirklees Magistrates Court, Huddersfield.
Kirklees Magistrates Court, Huddersfield.

District Judge Michael Fanning said the defendant’s “long record” made “grim reading.”

He told Oldroyd: “Because you have pleaded guilty you will avoid going to prison. It was at a wake. There would be an expectation that people would be upset anyway.

“You’ve given no explanation, except you drank too much and can’t remember any of the circumstances of the offence.”

The judge ordered Oldroyd to carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work in the community.

He also ordered £100 to be paid to Mr Sykes and £100 to the owner of the damaged car. A further £175 is also to be paid in fines and costs.

The judge warned: “If you don’t do the order you can expect to go to prison.”