A SERVING soldier and a student have been handed 20-week prison sentences for their part in a brawl outside a pub in which a man was bottled and another left unconscious.

Jack Conn-Peers was caught up in the trouble that erupted after marking his army passing out with pals Jake Moody and Lewis Stenhouse.

After celebrating at Conn-Peers’ home the three friends took a taxi to the Crown and Liver pub on The Highway, Hawarden, but almost as soon as they had disembarked a fight broke out with another group of men, including Ryan Turner, on August 19 last year.

Ian Christiansen was struck by a bottle to the back of his head by Conn-Peers, while another of Turner’s group, Matthew Evans, was knocked unconscious by Moody.

Both men, who were innocent parties, needed treatment at the Countess of Chester Hospital for their injuries, but Turner was charged with affray along with Conn-Peers, Moody and Stenhouse.

Deputy district judge Timothy Gascoyne, sitting at Flintshire Magistrates Court, told Conn-Peers, a private in the Royal Logistics based in Yorkshire: “This was truly appalling.”

And he told Turner, a recent graduate of Newcastle University, who the court heard hoped to pursue a marketing career: “You continued in big way to continue with this fight.

“Members of the public and people were left driving their motor vehicles through this carry on which spread to both sides of the road.”

Four men appeared at the Mold court for sentencing.

Conn-Peers, 18, of Broadway, Connah's Quay; Ryan Turner, 23, of Manor House Road, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Jake Moody, 18, of Llys Emlyn Williams, Old Chester Road, Holywell, all admitted affray.

Stenhouse, 19, of Kings Road, Connah's Quay, denied affray, but was convicted after a trial.

Moody appeared in custody and the court heard that he was already serving two years for armed robbery. He was sentenced to 20 weeks in prison to run consecutively to his current sentence.

Stenhouse was handed a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.

Prosecutor Rhian Jackson told the court: “This was a large scale brawl in which two men were injured. Ian Christiansen was struck by a bottle to the back of his head and Matthew Evans was knocked unconscious.”

In interview Moody said he had been drinking with Stenhouse and Conn-Peers to celebrate his friend’s passing out of the army. He said he did not remember what had happened other than he and his friends getting into a fight after getting a taxi to the pub.

When asked why he had hit Mr Christiansen with the bottle, Conn-Peers said: “I was scared.”

Mr Christiansen said in a statement that after the brawl he had found himself looking over his shoulder whenever “he saw a group of lads”, while Mr Evans said the incident had affected his confidence.

Victoria Hanley, for Conn-Peers, said her client accepted that he was the one caught on CCTV using the bottle.

Defence solicitor Ian Barnes said Turner was expected to attain a first class or 2.1 honours degree at university and was hoping to move away from the area to get a job.

“He [Turner] certainly didn’t instigate it. The others [defendants] pulled up in a taxi and at least one of them pursued him and his group.

"He witnessed both his friends being assaulted and it is because of those events that he acted in the way he did."

Defending Stenhouse, Fiona Larkin said: “He accepts he was part of the affray, but he was not the main aggressor."

Gary Harvey, for Moody, said: “He didn’t start the trouble. The provocation came from the other side, but things got out of hand.

"When the bottle materialised he tried to be a peacemaker.”

Conn-Peers was also ordered to undergo 12 months post-sentence supervision and pay his victim £150 compensation.

Turner was ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge and Moody was told to pay £150 compensation to Mr Evans for attacking him.

As well as his suspended sentence, Stenhouse’s punishment is to include 200 hours of unpaid work, a 15-day rehabilitation requirement, while he was ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge and £620 costs.