Two men involved in a ‘mass brawl’ in the centre of Tenby during the summer season have been given suspended prison sentences.
Forty-nine-year-old Jason Price, Tan y Bryn Gardens, Aberdare, and forty-five-year-old Andrew Mason, of Penyfan View, Merthyr Tydfil, admitted their parts in the violent incident which took place in the seaside resort on the evening of Friday, August 5.
Appearing for sentencing this week at Swansea Crown Court, Mr. Price, had previously pleaded guilty to affray, unlawful wounding, and two counts of inflicting actual bodily harm, and Mr. Mason, to affray and unlawful wounding.
The pleas were on the basis that neither man kicked their victims, prosecutor Dean Pulling explained.
Mr. Pulling told the court though some people involved in the brawl had used their feet, but it could not be said that it had been the two defendants, and the basis of please was acceptable.
The court heard how Mr. Price and Mr. Mason, who were brothers-in-law, were part of a group that were on a night out and visited the Three Mariners Inn on St George’s Street at around 10.30 pm on the night the trouble flared.
In the pub, Mr. Mason, a football coach for Gurnos FC, took his T-shirt off, but put it back on after he was approached by a bouncer to tell him to.
However, Mr. Price, a former rugby captain for Merthyr, suddenly launched an ‘unprovoked’ attack on the bouncer, punching him in the face and causing an extensive nose-bleed.
The two men left the pub and then went to the Tenby House Hotel on Tudor Square, where staff at the premises had already been alerted about the pair, but a decision was taken not to ask them to leave until the police arrived on the scene.
A few minutes later though, Mr. Price left the premises and became aggressive towards the pub’s bouncers. He started swearing at them and challenged them to a fight, and was soon joined by Mr. Mason who began goading his friend into a fight, before an ‘eruption of violence’ took place on the street between the two men and door staff.
Seeing the brawl breaking out and fists flying from across the road, the landlord of the Lifeboat Inn went to aid the bouncers, and was punched to the ground by Mr. Mason.
Other unidentified people who were in the area also joined in with the melee and assaulted the bouncers, with some kicking their victims.
Mr. Price and Mr. Mason were arrested for their part in the brawl shortly after.
The five victims suffered a range of cuts and bruises to their faces and bodies, along with black eyes and cuts to their lips and mouths.
One was left needing 10 stitches to three separate wounds on his face.
Recorder Christopher Felstead told the court that the events that took place in Tenby that night were of a ‘nasty and unpleasant’ nature, and involved assaults on door staff that were ‘simply doing their jobs’ in the licensing trade.
Mr. Price was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, and also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work and made the subject of an 8 pm to 6 am nightly curfew for six months.
Mr. Mason was given a 12 month jail sentence, suspended for 15 months, and also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Both defendants were ordered to pay £750 compensation to each of the men they attacked, along with £750 towards prosecution costs.