Drunken brawl of Army pair and wives

TWO MEMBERS of the Army, their wives and a mother of young children, have been sentenced for affray after a brawl in the married quarters at Catterick Garrison.

Soldiers Graham Bradley and Andrew Crane, their wives Karen Bradley and Zara Crane and single parent Hannah Carney all became involved in the drunken altercation at the North Yorkshire base in September 2020.

The two couples were friends before and have since reconciled and have been posted to Cyprus together.

A North Yorkshire police officer was struck twice in the head by assailants he alleged were Bradley and Crane during the ruckus.

Bradley pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency worker and no evidence was offered against Crane, who denied hitting him.

All five defendants appeared at Teesside Crown Court and admitted affray.

The court was told the argument began with the two men exchanging blows before Bradley’s teenage son was struck by Crane, at which point the women became involved.

Zara Crane and Hannah Carney punched Bradley and Miss Crane hit his son before police arrived and arrested an aggressive Mrs Crane.

The men continued to fight and the constable who was struck was “caught in the crossfire”.

Sentencing all to a 12-month community order and to pay £400 costs, Recorder Thomas Moran said: “This was a serious public disorder.

“You are all old enough to know better. Your put your Army careers at risk and it was a disgraceful incident. Each of you played a part and joined in, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

“The men were the main protagonists but it is difficult to get to the bottom of who was responsible.”

Bradley and Crane were ordered to pay the police officer £400 in compensation.