HALLOWE’EN BRAWL DUO SENTENCED

THE final two defendants involved in a fight at Runcorn taxi rank on Hallowe’en night in which one combatant lost a ‘large piece of skin’ have been sentenced.

Matthew Hansen, 27, of The Knoll, Runcorn, and Aiden Smith, 25, of The Uplands, Runcorn, were each handed 16 months in prison suspended for two years by Judge Nicholas Woodward at Chester Crown Court on Monday, July 11.

They must also complete an alcohol programme requirement.

Jacob Byrom, 26, last listed address Willow Close, Runcorn, was handed the same sentence at an earlier hearing in May, having been dealt with separately because of his previously clean record.

Chris Taylor, prosecuting, had played CCTV footage to the court showing how the fight broke out at 12.30am on Sunday, November 1, last year.

Hansen claimed someone had called him a ‘nob’, from which he ‘ couldn’t walk away’ so he had pushed Byrom.

The court heard Smith said he had joined in to defend his friend Byrom.

Bystanders including revellers in zombie and surgeon fancy dress outfits were among those looking on.

Police found a ‘large piece of skin’ belonging to Hansen at the scene following the fight, although it was not known how it came to be detached.

CCTV footage showed Hansen, who had been drinking since 11.30am and was ‘the most drunk he had ever been’, trying to stand while his legs repeatedly buckled.

The altercation lasted six minutes and included verbal and physical exchanges.

During the incident, Hansen’s partner pulled up and tried to intervene.

In May, the court heard Hansen was treated at Warrington Hospital and then at Aintree where he had surgery on his face, and had ‘persistently been the aggressor even though he kept getting on the wrong end of it’.

All three had pleaded guilty to affray.