Last updated at 14:19, Wednesday, 16 May 2012

A MAN was knocked out with a single punch after a drunken brawl poured into the street on New Year’s Eve.

Two men appeared at Furness Magistrates’ Court yesterday in connection with the incident outside Sophia’s, in Dalton Road, Barrow.

The court was shown CCTV footage of the inside of the bar, which showed several people becoming involved a brawl and being escorted out by bouncers.

Prosecutor Mrs Lisa Hine said officers arrived on the scene to find a number of people on the pavement outside the bar.

As the officers tried to apprehend one man, Trevor Wilde, Jon-Paul Friend, 25, came out of Sophia’s in a “highly drunk state”, she said.

Mrs Hine said: “In a completely unprovoked act, Mr Friend grabbed hold of Mr Wilde and pushed him into some metal railings and punched him.”

The court heard Friend knocked Mr Wilde unconscious with one punch.

Friend, of Himalaya Avenue, Walney, admitted assault by beating, but said in interview he had not been involved in the fight in the bar.

However, he agreed the attack on the victim had been unprovoked.

Rowan Urmston, 22, of Risedale Road, Barrow, was also part of the group on the pavement.

The CCTV images showed Urmston pushing and making threatening gestures towards Jamie Sherwood before leaving the area.

He was later arrested and admitted using threatening or abusive language with intent to cause fear or provoke violence. District Judge Mr Gerald Chalk told Urmston: “When they see you fighting in that manner, it scares other people from using the city centre and it frightens them. You were a drunken lout that night.”

Urmston was given a six-month community order with a requirement to be on curfew from 7am to 7pm and fined £85 costs.

Judge Chalk told Friend he had considered sending him to prison for the assault, but instead gave him a 12-month community order with a requirement to do 250 hours of unpaid work.

He was ordered to pay £250 compensation and £85 costs.

Judge Chalk said: “Any further behaviour like this and I will send you to prison without hesitation.”

First published at 13:37, Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk