Three men jailed for part in 'ferocious' street fight on Weymouth seafront (From Dorset Echo)
When news happens get involved. Send your pictures, views and video to us by text and email
Three men jailed for part in 'ferocious' street fight on Weymouth seafront
11:00am Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News By Harry Hogger
Robert Witter
THREE men have been jailed for their part in a ‘ferocious’ street fight in Weymouth.
Robert David Witter, 41, Gary Coats, 48, and Steve Norris, 30, were all sentenced to nine months in prison for an offence of affray which took place on Weymouth seafront on July 4 last year.
Prosecutor Anita Gibson-Lee told the court that police and CCTV operators were alerted to the incident on The Esplanade at around 9.20pm.
The footage showed all three defendants punching and kicking at two other men and Coats was seen to pick up a stick during the fracas.
Miss Gibson-Lee said an ambulance attended the scene and one of the men suffered a split lip that was bleeding heavily.
She said Witter and Coats, both of Park Street, Weymouth, were arrested nearby that evening and Norris, of no fixed abode, was arrested the following day.
Miss Gibson-Lee told the court that all three defendants had a number of previous convictions.
In a basis of plea Norris claimed he had been the subject of threats previously from the other men involved in the fight and used ‘excessive force’ in defending himself during the altercation.
Coats claimed he was aware of the threats to his friend Norris and on the day in question had heard the men were looking for him.
He said he had gone to meet them as he did not want them to approach him in his place of work.
Anne Brown, representing Coats, said her client accepted he had picked up a stick and struck out with it.
Adam Feest, representing Witter, said his client was ‘reacting to an aggressive and violent background’.
He added: “He accepts in doing so he went beyond what was lawful.”
Judge Roger Jarvis told the defendants: “The way that you behaved on this occasion was quite unacceptable.
“The incident itself was totally short lived but it was ferocious, there were punches and kicks and one of you had a stick in your hand.
“It was committed in the presence of a number of ordinary people who shouldn’t be exposed to this sort of behaviour.”
