When I sobered up I looked in the mirror and thought: Who are you? What the hell have you done to yourself? You look like an idiot, Lee said. The first day I went back [to my job] after having the tattoo, they said: Sorry, you can't work here. Bye-bye, see you later. Straight away.
Lee has had trouble finding work ever since. Even when hes not on the job hunt, he says people look at him like a psychotic clown gangster.
When I'm out and about in town, I get stared at pretty much 24/7, he said. Old ladies cross the street and clutch their handbags like I'm going to nick something of theirs. I've been called Coco the Clown, a murderer... I think people think I'm some kind of psychotic clown gangster sort of thing.
Basically, I've regretted it since the day I got it done, he says. People think they can call you every name under the sun.