Man jailed over his part in violent pub disorder
A Sunderland man who was involved in a violent pub incident has been jailed for eight months.
Lee Alderson, 40, and his friend Lee Morris, 35, arrived at The Three Tuns pub in Thirskafteradrinkingsession and soon began causing trouble, York Crown Court heard.
Morris was the main aggressorandendedupglassing a male pub-goer in the head, said prosecutor Stephanie Hancock.
“LeeMorriswasaggressive immediately and described by witnesses as spoiling for a fight,” added the barrister.
The violence began when Morrispushedthevictimover just for making a “quip, a silly joke”.
“Asbothmenfell,LeeMorrisarmedhimselfwithaglass, thought to be a wine bottle from a table nearby,” said Ms Hancock.
Morris struck the man on the head with the bottle, he suffered a non-life-threatening injury to the back of his head.
However, the exact nature of the injury was still unclear becausethevictimdeclinedto make a police statement.
Witnesses said Morris, of Market Place, Thirsk, was shouting: “I’m going to bray you all!”
The shift manager tried to usher Morris and Alderson out of the pub, but as he did so, Alderson aimed a foulmouthed volley of abuse at himandthreatenedabarman.
“Asthemenwereeventually bundled out, Morris kicked out and smashed a pane in the door on the way out,” said Ms Hancock.
Both men were arrested and in police interview the following morning said they hadlittlerecollectionoftheincidentonFebruary10butthat they were “very sorry”.
They admitted affray and Morris was also admitted damaging the pub door.
The court heard that Morris and Alderson - of Maria Street, Sunderland - had been on a pub crawl in Thirsk before violence flared at about 11pm. They were both “heavily in drink” and one of them admitteddrinkingbetween10 and 15 pints.
Defence barrister Helen Towers said both men had acted out of character.
But judge Sean Morris said Lee Morris was lucky not to have been charged with a more serious offence and jailed him for 10 months.
Alderson was jailed for eight months.