Bust-up between brothers at East Boldon pub on Easter Saturday sees one of them end up in court

Stephen Warrener, 46, and a sibling visited the Beggar’s Bridge in East Boldon to watch a sports match, a court heard.

They drank peaceably until matters soured for Warrener, of Rutherglen Road, Red House, Sunderland, when another brother turned up drunk on Saturday, April 8.

The late arrival got into bother inside and was escorted out, then attempted to gain readmittance to continue the dispute.

It ended with the kinsmen fighting among themselves and Warrener being arrested when police saw him acting aggressively and heard him swearing.

At South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk and disorderly in public.

Prosecutor Lesley Burgess said: “The build-up appears to start at the Beggar’s Bridge pub in the early hours.

“Police received a telephone call which reported an incident between the defendant and his two brothers.

“There was a fight between the three. Police officers attended and found the three fighting.

“One brother had significant injuries. The defendant was described as being very aggressive. The defendant swore.

“Officers tried to find out what was happening. He was arrested. He was attempting to get to one of his brothers. He was shouting ‘shut his mouth’ towards his brother.”

Ms Burgess described Warrener as being “lightly convicted” and revealed he was last before a court in 2011 for assaulting a police officer.

Defending himself, Warrener said he had not instigated the trouble and had been trying to prevent the latecomer brother getting back into the pub.

He added: “I had been out with one brother for the match, and we met another brother, who had been drinking.

“It kicked off in the pub and me and my brother got him out and pinned him to a fence. He was trying to get back in.

“When police arrived, I was just trying to get him to shut up, I was trying to calm him down. I got in the police van no bother.”

Magistrates fined Warrener £115, with £85 court costs and a £40 victim surcharge.