AN AXE was brandished during a disturbance at a Deeside pub.

Lee James Bromilow, 26, and Jack Whittle, 27, both of Hillside Avenue in Connah’s Quay, have been jailed at Mold Crown Court.

Judge Nicolas Parry warned that possession of knives by young people, who may not intend to use them, was serious and a number of people had been injured and worse during the last three years.

It was something that needed to be stamped out, he said.

The court heard a disturbance broke out at Wetherspoons at Shotton in January.

Tables and chairs were thrown but the defendants claimed they were thrown not by them, but at them.

However both accepted they had the weapons with them and Bromilow was seen to brandish the axe during the incident.

Both admitted affray, Bromilow admitted possessing an axe and Whittle admitted possessing a knife.

Judge Parry described it as a serious incident of public disorder on licensed premises when both were in drink.

“You were carrying weapons,” he said. “You took them with you into that public house.”

Whittle, the judge said, had summed it up in his probation interview when he said: “I didn’t mean to use it.”

Young people who carried knives with them probably did not intend to use them, he said.

But when people came across volatile situations they did use them and young people had died on the streets of North Wales.

The last three years were littered with serious incidents because young people carried knives, no doubt intending to keep them in their pockets.

Bromilow had previous convictions for affray and wounding while Whittle was lightly convicted and had not been into custody before.

“This kind of public disorder with weapons has to be stamped out,” said Judge Parry.

Bromilow received a 14 month sentence and Whittle was jailed for six months.

Barrister Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, said that police were called at 11.40pm on January 22 and initially the defendants were treated as complainants.

But when the weapons were later found hidden in the pub, the CCTV was examined which showed that two men and a woman were involved in an altercation with the defendants .

There was some pushing and shoving, Bromilow was seen to swing an axe and Whittle admitted that at some point he had a knife.

Mark Connor, for Bromilow, said it was accepted that he had the weapon with him, but said that initially the defendants had been the victims and said tables and chairs had been thrown at them.

He had an axe with him and said that he had been carrying it for his own protection, which would be a matter of concern to the court.

Phillip Clemo, for Whittle, said his client knew it was an extremely stupid thing to do to carry a knife out with him that night.

He cared for his father who suffered extreme ill-health, Mr Clemo said.

An anger management course under a suspended sentence would be appropriate, he suggested.