Wedding party guests in Stafford street attack on pranksters
Three wedding party guests turned violent as they hunted a gang of youngsters who had been tormenting them by knocking on the door before running off.
The fracas ended outside a shop in Stafford with two adults in hospital – a man who was kicked unconscious and a woman with serious arm and shoulder injuries.
Youngsters were also on the receiving end of vile racist abuse, a court was told.
Brother and sister Barry and Annette Williams together with another wedding reveller, Stephen Gallear, were each given 18-month suspended jail sentences.
But Recorder Miss Sally Hancox branded the episode 'disgraceful mob violence'.
She said: "Sensible, sober people don't take the law in to their own hands, particularly when they have no clue as to precisely what happened or who was responsible and dish out foul and abusive revenge."
Annette Williams, aged 34, of Saturn Road, Cannock, her brother Barry Williams, aged 36, of Sandon Road, Stafford, and Gallear, 30, of no fixed address, all admitted a charge of affray. Each of the sentences were suspended for two years, while Barry Williams was also ordered to do 120 hours unpaid community work, pay £250 costs and £250 compensation to each of the injured adults, Mrs Alison Crooks and Mr Geoffrey Walker.
The court heard that they had come to the assistance of the youngsters being chased, abused and threatened. Mr Walker was repeatedly kicked by Barry Williams and Gallear and was taken to hospital unconscious. Mrs Crooks had her arms held behind her by Annette Williams, Stafford Crown Court heard. Mr Tariq Shakoor, prosecuting, said the trouble erupted after a wedding at Stafford Register Office on 5 October, 2012, followed by a party at thehome of the Williams' mother in Moorfields, Stafford.
Young pranksters had been either knocking on the door and running off or throwing stones at the windows. The defendants came out and chased them. When the two adults tried to intervene, the defendants turned on them.
