Bar brawl men narrowly avoid jail

Seven men were told by a judge they narrowly avoided jail for their part in a bar brawl which ended with several people being injured.

Punches and objects were thrown during the incident at the R1 Bar in Anchor Parade. Aldridge, last November 28, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

Violence erupted at about 11.45pm and ended with police being called to the scene.

The court was told the brawl had destroyed bottles and optics from the bar, valued at £760, and damaged a television.

CCTV footage was played in court at the sentencing of Streetly men Craig Robinson, aged 26, of Grange Drive; Charles Morrall, 24, of Chester Road; Philip Vickers, 24, of Blackwood Drive; Steven Hawker, 22, of Chester Road, Thomas Bridgewater, 20, of Mulberry Walk; Ross Fleming, 20, of Royston Chase, Sutton Coldfield and Anthony Smith, 27, of Stubbers Green Road, Aldridge.

They each admitted a charge of affray.

One of the defendants told police there had been an atmosphere on the night and believed it was 'going to go off like a timebomb,' prosecutor Mark Phillips said.

He said the brawl began after a man started talking to a girl, believed to be Smith's girlfriend.

Smith put his arm around the man's shoulder and they started pushing each other before ending up on the floor.

Later on Smith fought with Bridgewater and Robinson behind the bar, Mr Phillips said.

Fleming was also seen standing on the bar during the brawl and objects were thrown about.

During the action a man fell and broke his ankle, but nothing suggested the defendants were to blame.

Mr Phillips said some of the defendants had trouble remembering the events of the evening in full.

Judge John Warner branded the brawl as 'a dreadful piece of public disorder.'

Sentencing the men, he said: "It's not just what you were doing individually but it's the overall disorder.

"It seems to me that it is an act of mercy that no one has been seriously injured. Innocent members of the public will have been upset with what was going on.

"You've come pretty close to being sent away."

Smith was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and a 12-month supervision order.

Smith, Fleming, Robinson, Bridgewater, Vickers and Hawker each received a 100 hour unpaid work requirement, and Morrall was given 120 hours.

Vickers also received a five-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

All seven were given a four-month curfew order. Each was ordered to pay £95 compensation and £275 costs.

Matthew Grove, 19, of Hillside Drive, Streetly, who also admitted a charge of affray, will be sentenced this afternoon at Wolverhampton Crown Court.