Men jailed after 'violent brawl'

Two men have been jailed and another given youth custody after a "violent brawl" outside a Gwynedd pub.

Mold Crown Court was told that a number of people were hurt in the incident in December 2006, outside the Queen's Hotel in Porthmadog.

David Jones, 49, then a barman at the hotel, Arwel Jones, 23, and Ashley Jones, 19, all from Porthmadog, admitted violent disorder.

Judge Merfyn Hughes QC said the fight had been caught by a CCTV camera.

The court heard Bryn Erfyl Jones, the managing director of Cambrian Leisure Homes, which was having its Christmas party that night, ended up having emergency surgery for a double jaw fracture.

No-one was arrested for the attack on Mr Jones, who now needs £10,000 worth of dental treatment.

'Shame and remorse'

The judge said the confrontation took place between two groups at the public house.

One group left and waited outside for the other, he said.

"It was obvious that the purpose of being there was to attack the other group when they left the premises," he added.

The judge said CCTV showed Arwel Jones was the first to use violence when he punched an unknown man.

Then he, and Ashley Jones got hold of a man called Tony Smith and pulled him to the ground, and David Jones then got involved.

CCTV showed Ashley Jones sitting astride Mr Smith punching him about six times, said the judge, while David Jones kicked him twice.

Arwel Jones also punched him a number of times, and he also punched a woman who intervened.

The judge said non of the defendants were involved in the attack on Bryn Erfyl Jones but others in their group were.

It had been a "very violent brawl", he said.

Defence barristers Dafydd Roberts, David Blythin and Caroline Harris said the defendants were full of shame and remorse.

David Jones, a skip hire worker, received eight months in prison, Ashley Jones, a dry stone waller, 10 months youth detention, and Arwel Jones, 12 months in prison.