TWO men and two women have been jailed for what a judge described as “wholly unjustified mob violence”.

Judge Phillip Richards, sitting at Mold Crown Court, said the violence had been directed at entirely innocent people, primarily because they were strangers in a pub which the defendants regarded as their own local.

Dawn Morris, 45, Damien Reid, 25, and Stephen Paul Reid, 18, all of East Green, Garden City, and Angela Jane Roberts, 42 of North Green, Garden City, were all convicted of affray at an earlier hearing. They all received 15 months’ custody.

Violence broke out at the Leprechaun pub in Garden City after a karaoke night in July of last year turned nasty.

A jury at Mold Crown Court was told it was sparked off after a group of people who had been enjoying themselves on the microphone asked a woman not to point a laser pen into the eyes of those singing.

The atmosphere changed and the victims decided to leave, but they were set upon outside.

That night a group of friends – Lee Price and his wife, Gemma Price, her sister, Derryn Cawley, Alan Bright and Lee Price’s brother, Ian Price, were celebrating a birthday and when they first arrived at The Leprechaun, everyone seemed in a good mood, laughing, joking and having a drink. Later they realised they were being targeted and started to leave. But they were then attacked by the defendants and
others.

The judge said it was “a despicable and shocking” offence of affray against five totally innocent people. They were kicked and punched and one of the female victims had her hair pulled and was pushed against a car.

Defending barristers had asked for prison sentences to be suspended and said their clients were not the instigators of what went on.

Arthur Gibson, for Dawn Morris, a former licensee herself, said she had two children to care for, cared for her sick brother and did a lot in the community.
Debra White, for Daniel Reid, said he had no previous convictions and was only
involved towards the end of the incident.

He knew he should have walked away, she told the court. Ben Kelly, for Stephen Reid, said his client was only 17 at the time, and was currently in the middle of a catering course at Deeside College. He had also done charity work.

Oliver King, for Roberts, said she was a woman of good character, who was a hard worker and highly regarded. She suffered from depression, the court was told.