Oompa Loompas Sentenced Over Drunken Brawl

Two men have admitted taking part in a street brawl in Norwich while dressed as Oompa Loompas.

Louis Gelinas and Matthew Wright were dressed as the Road Dahl characters – famous for their short stature, green hair and orange skin – when they were involved in a fight with two men during a night out.

Prosecutor Stephen Spence, describing the brawl in Norwich’s Prince of Wales Road nightclub district, said that “somewhat ironically” the men targeted their victims because of what they were wearing.

He told Norwich Crown Court: “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, aged 28, suffered cuts and bruises in the attack which was caught on CCTV at 3am on December 27.

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.

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, defending 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 lawyer, Ian James, described his client as a “hard-working and busy” young man who is training to become an electrical inspector.

He said: “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.”

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”.

Oompa Loompas Sentenced Over Drunken Brawl