Guys in Kentucky apparently have a different way of doing things: two men begin probation for assault after they “forced” a tractor driver to eat his beard following an argument. The fight could’ve been over a tractor, or over a woman—no one’s quite sure. For sure, a sickle blade and too many drinks were involved.
47-year-old Troy Holt and 51-year-old James Hill have been sentenced—Holt alleged to have cut off the beard of 41-year-old Harvey Westmoreland. The claim is that Holt forced Westmoreland to eat the beard while Hill allegedly held a sickle blade to to the man, and his brother, in May 2009.
Holt didn’t have a lot of reasons to provide the court, as to why he made Westmoreland eat his beard: the man says things "got out of control" after some heavy drinking.
"I ain't got no excuses about what I done," says Holt.
What started the assault is a bit—literally—hazy. Westmoreland says the beard-eating and sickle blade incident occurred over a riding, tractor mower that he sold to Holt. Holt instead says the forced beard-eating was over a woman.
In some parts, there could be a similarity.
Holt and Hill were indicted on charges of terroristic threatening, unlawful imprisonment and misdemeanor assault—the legal charges amended to complicity on each count.
Westmoreland claims "Troy [Holt] offered to buy it [a tractor lawnmower] from me for $250 dollars. I paid twenty bucks for it. He thought I was trying to cheat him," Westmoreland told the media. "One thing led to another, and before I knew it, there were knives and guns and everything just went haywire…[then] they [Holt and Hill] cut my beard and forced me to eat it," the tractor driver says.
As a condition of their probation and sentences, neither Holt nor Hill is to have any contact with Westmoreland while serving out their respective terms.
Interestingly, Westmoreland says, "There's no hard feelings," as conveyed to the Herald-Leader in a home interview with the media. "I mean, I ain't going to speak to them [Hill and Holt], and they better not pull in my driveway."
Apparently the men really “better not pull in [Westmoreland’s] driveway” on a riding tractor.
Westmoreland isn’t too long on descriptions. Responding to what it’s like to eat a beard, the man told the Herald-Leader: "Well, did you ever chew on a sponge? That'd be about what it would be like."
Hopefully the alcohol helped.
Westmoreland says "I don't wish them [Holt and Hill] no harm. I hope they both have a good Thanksgiving and a good Christmas and a Happy New Year."
And, to all, a good night--less the eggnog.