Bar fight at Pink spilled out on to Hanley street
SIX men involved in 'disgraceful violence' in Hanley city centre have been spared an immediate prison sentence.
The fighting started in Pink bar, in Piccadilly, before spilling out on to the street.
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CCTV of the incident was shown during yesterday's sentencing hearing at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court and Judge Paul Glenn described the scenes as 'totally sickening'.
Prosecutor Raj Punia said Gareth Tweats, Lee Tinsley, Kyle Taylor and Daniel Steele were in one group and Mark Oulton and Benjamin Bowden were in another group in the nightspot just before 3am on May 9, 2011.
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The violence started after Oulton assaulted Taylor who had been 'pratting about', the court heard.
Miss Punia said: "The assault was the trigger for the disorder in the street.
"Taylor appeared to be bumping into Oulton, who was seated.
"On the second or third occasion Oulton got up and punched Taylor. There was a scuffle in the bar and Oulton was seen to leave.
"Outside, people were milling about."
The CCTV showed all the defendants play some role outside.
Oulton, aged 42, of Barthomley Road, Audley, pleaded guilty to common assault and affray.
Bowden, aged 26, of Ford Street, Silverdale, pleaded guilty to section four of the Public Order Act.
Tweats, aged 22, of William Road, Kidsgrove; Taylor, aged 26, of Cornhill Road, Chell; Tinsley, aged 26, of Bentley Road, Chell Heath; and Steele, aged 30, of Gordon Street, Burslem, all pleaded guilty to affray.
Judge Glenn said Bowden was more sinned against than sinner and sentenced him to a 12-month community order with 100 hours' unpaid work and £150 costs.
He sentenced the other five defendants to a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 200-hours' unpaid work and a three-month curfew from 10pm to 4am. They must each pay £500 costs.
Judge Glenn said: "Events such as this are totally sickening and they give Hanley a bad name.
"That was disgraceful violence, plainly involving people who could not hold their drink.
"The catalyst was Oulton assaulting Taylor, who had been pratting about.
"It should have ended there but resumed outside on the street.
"It was a nasty street brawl witnessed by quite a lot of people.
"A number of people tried to stop you at different parts of the incident and seem to have been completely ignored."
The judge said he would have sent all the defendants to prison if the case had been dealt with sooner, but there had been an extremely long delay in the case which was no fault of the defendants.
He said: "An 18-month wait is a very substantial wait and a degree of punishment.
"You have all carried on in employment and kept out of trouble.
"None of you have a great deal (of previous convictions) and some are of good character."
Comments
by warren-lloyd
Monday, December 17 2012, 6:20AM
“Is 'pratting about' a legal term.
42, what a utter idiot.”
by dougalcross
Sunday, December 16 2012, 10:38PM
“Just high spirits................boys will be boys...............even when they're forty-odd years old..............”
by castleblack
Saturday, December 15 2012, 6:19PM
“would they have been able to sort this out with out cctv i think not”
by SmellySock
Saturday, December 15 2012, 4:11PM
“The biggest sentence is to ban them from drinking in hanley , the dozy judge talked absolute chit as usual saying he would of jailed them if the case wasn't delayed,,these judges are clueless letting these thugs back on the street utter clueless,,he'll be saying next time it takes a brave man to fight in the street like that other clueless 'judge' about the house burglar 6 months back..makes the tax payers blood boil this nonsense does..”