Two men have been sentenced after admitting their part in a street brawl while dressed as peace-loving Oompa Loompas.
Louis Gelinas and Matthew Wright were in fancy dress as the Roald Dahl characters — famous for their short stature, green hair and orange skin — when they picked a fight with two men during a night out.
Prosecutor Stephen Spence, describing the incident which happened in Norwich’s Prince of Wales Road nightclub district over the festive season, said that “somewhat ironically” the men had targeted their victims because of what they were wearing.
He added: “The two defendants together with another man were in fancy dress as Oompa Loompas — fictional characters from Loompa Land which end up being preyed upon by Whangdoodles, Hornswogglers and Snozzwangers.
"They are in fact peaceable characters who Willy Wonka employs in his factory to keep them away from trouble.
“Far from keeping out of trouble, these men got into what was initially a verbal altercation, were abusive, calling one of the men ‘gay’, and ended up pushing the men resulting in facial injuries to one of them.”
A man (28) suffered cuts and bruises in the attack which was caught on CCTV at 3am on December 27th.
Gelinas (20) from Rectory Road, Sutton, and Wright( 20) from Decoy Road, Potter Heigham, both in Norfolk, pleaded guilty to affray at an earlier hearing.
Wright also admitted an unrelated assault.
The pair dressed in shirts and ties for the sentencing hearing at Norwich Crown Court.
Judge Nicholas Coleman ordered Gelinas to complete 240 hours of unpaid work for the community while Wright was sentenced to 10 months in a young offenders institute.
Jonathan Morgan, mitigating on behalf of university student Gelinas, said: “Clearly they were not dressed for trouble.
“My client’s braces were hanging down so it is easy to tell on the CCTV which of the Oompa Loompas he was.
“He did not start the violence and is seen walking away.”
Wright’s barrister, Ian James, described his client as a “hard-working and busy” young man who is training to become an electrical inspector.
“He had taken drink and believed that one or other of his friends, by way of the unusual way they were dressed, was involved in a confrontation and he involved himself,” Mr James added.
Oompa Loompas featured in the children’s novel Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and are known for their moralising songs advising people on what they should and should not “Oompa Loompa doompadee do”.
PA