Pair in court after starting drunken brawl over taxi

Marc Connell, 26, and Dean Bell, 19, were each given 100-hour community punishment orders and told to pay £127 court costs after they admitted using threatening behaviour.

Connell was also electronically tagged and put on a three-month 9pm to 7am curfew to keep him out of pubs and away from alcohol.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the pair started fighting in Stockton town centre after a bout of Boxing Day drinking.

Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said police monitoring closed circuit television camera screens saw the disturbance near a taxi rank at about 2am on Monday, December 27.

Video footage played at the court yesterday showed the two men rolling around on the ground throwing punches at one another while a crowd of up to 40 onlookers watched.

Mr Sabiston told the court: "It is plain from the video that some of the crowd found it amusing.

"One or two might have found it shocking, but it did not escalate into public disorder.

"They paid all their attentions to one another... and no other member of the public was involved or injured."

Mr Sabiston said it was impossible to tell who began the brawl, but said: "It would seem the argument started over somebody getting into a taxi out of order."

When they were interviewed by police, Connell said he was pulled from the queue by Bell and punched, while Bell said the other man threw a punch at him, so he hit him back.

Bell, of Hampshire Green, Norton, and Connell, of Northumberland Road, Thornaby, were initially charged with affray, but admitted the lesser charge on the day of their expected trial last month.

The judge, Recorder Aidan Marron, told Connell he had come very close to jail because of his previous convictions for assault, resisting a police officer and public disorder.

Mr Marron said: "You are very much on the threshold of a custodial sentence, but you do not cross it today.

"If you are back here before this court, you will go directly to prison -be assured that will be the disposal."