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| Clive Mantle: TV actor's ear bitten 'in row over noise' | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Former Casualty actor Clive Mantle had part of his ear bitten off in a row over noise at a hotel, a court has heard. | Former Casualty actor Clive Mantle had part of his ear bitten off in a row over noise at a hotel, a court has heard. |
| Newcastle Crown Court was told how the actor, 56, was woken by shouting in the corridor outside his room in the Quayside Travelodge on 24 March. | |
| When he asked Philip McGilvray, 33, and Alan French 32, to be quiet, the pair "laid into him", the jury heard. | When he asked Philip McGilvray, 33, and Alan French 32, to be quiet, the pair "laid into him", the jury heard. |
| Both men of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, deny wounding with intent. | Both men of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, deny wounding with intent. |
| The actor, who played surgeon Mike Barrett in the BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, had been appearing at the city's Theatre Royal when the incident happened at 04:30 GMT. | The actor, who played surgeon Mike Barrett in the BBC medical dramas Casualty and Holby City, had been appearing at the city's Theatre Royal when the incident happened at 04:30 GMT. |
| 'Thumb in eye' | |
| He was on the way to reception to complain when the two defendants "deliberately blocked his path", the court heard. | He was on the way to reception to complain when the two defendants "deliberately blocked his path", the court heard. |
| Mr Mantle claimed he put his hands out to force a gap through them. | |
| "Immediately, my arms were caught," he said. "I had one man on each arm and I couldn't free myself. | |
| "It was then that a tussle, a jostle, and me trying to free myself, turned into a melee." | |
| French pinned him down, he said, and McGilvray was to his side. | |
| "The next thing I was aware of was a pain in my left ear which triggered a massive response within me," he said. | |
| "The adrenaline it gave me enabled me to rip my right hand away. | |
| "The only thing I could do is put my thumb in his eye socket to make him release," the court heard. | |
| Mr Mantle lifted his long, grey hair to show the jury his disfigured left ear at the request of the prosecution. | |
| 'Flurry of punches' | 'Flurry of punches' |
| Mr McGilvray, of Arbroath Grove, and Mr French, of Forrest Gate, were visiting Newcastle with friends and had been out drinking. | Mr McGilvray, of Arbroath Grove, and Mr French, of Forrest Gate, were visiting Newcastle with friends and had been out drinking. |
| Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said: "He [Mr Mantle] told them he needed to get past and placed his hands between them, and tried to force his way through, perhaps not unreasonably considering the situation he was in. | |
| "At this point they both decided to grab his arms and set about him. Both men threw a flurry of drunken punches, some landed, some didn't. | "At this point they both decided to grab his arms and set about him. Both men threw a flurry of drunken punches, some landed, some didn't. |
| "Ultimately, it ended with him being dragged on the ground face down." | "Ultimately, it ended with him being dragged on the ground face down." |
| Mr Perks said the row had "culminated with a substantial part of his ear being bitten off". | Mr Perks said the row had "culminated with a substantial part of his ear being bitten off". |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |