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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Philip Dewey

Dad and two sons began mass brawl in Pontypool pub after being refused alcohol

A father and his two sons began a brawl in a pub where glasses and chairs were thrown after the landlord refused to serve them more alcohol.

Reuben Edwards, 49, and sons Leonard Edwards, 22, and Nino Edwards, 21, assaulted the landlord and customers at the Iron Duke pub in Pontypool on New Year's Day after drinking copious amounts of pink gin and Monster energy drink.

The family became enraged after landlord Frederic Farley said they had drunk too much and they would no longer be served.

The attack left staff and customers injured and damage was caused to the pub including a £500 television which had a glass thrown at it by Nino Edwards.

Prosecutor Andrew Davies told a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday the three defendants entered the premises in Osborne Road at around 5pm on January 1 where they began to drink steadily.

At 9.50pm Mr Farley told Leonard Edwards he would not be serving Reuben Edwards any more alcohol due to his demeanour but at 10pm when the landlord was clearing glasses from the bar he was approached by Leonard Edwards who he claimed he had been shortchanged and was "agitated".

Mr Farley said he would refund the drinks but said the group had drunk too much alcohol.

The Iron Duke pub in Pontypool (Google)

Mr Davies played CCTV footage to the court and described proceedings. He added: "The party gathered around the landlord and he was pushed and struck to the nose, causing it to bleed. He was also struck several other times.

"At this stage the landlord said: 'You've done enough, I want you out'. But as you can see from the footage the defendants picked up glasses and threw them across the bar close to the head of the landlord.

"A member of bar staff, Joel Williams, was attacked and injured and a customer, Richard Price, was also punched and kicked.

"Mr Farley doesn't remember much about what happened after that but he was dragged into a back room by his son who used an umbrella under the handle to stop the defendants getting to him."

The footage also showed the defendants stamping on and kicking people, throwing glasses and chairs, and Nino Edwards holding people back as his father and brother attacked.

Reuben Edwards and Nino Edwards, both of Shepherd's Hill Caravan Site, Pontypool, and Leonard Edwards, of Albion Road, Pontypool, were arrested and all three pleaded guilty to affray.

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Defence barrister Abigail Jackson said her client Reuben Edwards was remorseful having been "shocked and appalled" by his actions after watching the CCTV.

Ms Jackson added: "This incident was clearly fuelled by intoxication and vast amounts of alcohol and since then Mr Edwards has not drunk at all."

She said the defendant lived with his elderly parents and helped to look after his mother as well as running errands for her. She also said he helps to care for his 11-year-old son with his ex-partner.

Lucy Crowther, representing Leonard Edwards, said her client had also given up alcohol following the affray and was due to become a father next year, having already provided care for his partner's other children.

Andrew Kendall, representing Nino Edwards, said the defendant's partner was also expecting his first child and initially had less involvement in the affray when it began.

Sentencing, Recorder Patrick Upward QC said: "You three went out on New Year's Day and spent the whole day drinking prodigious quantities of alcohol before moving on to the Iron Duke where you continued drinking more and more alcohol to the extent that by 10pm the landlord told you you had enough and a fight started as a consequence.

"All of you played the exact same part and used an insane amount of violence against members of staff and members of the public. It was an outrageous piece of behaviour.

"Landlords and their staff spend their time working late into the evening and often helping people, as well as dealing with people like you, and they deserve protection."

All three men were jailed for 12 months.

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