FOUR Wrexham people have been spared jail after their "disgusting" behaviour in a pub.

Benjamin Williams, aged 35 and of Herbert Jennings Avenue, appeared at Wrexham Magistrates Court on Tuesday for sentence alongside co-defendants Kelly Gates, aged 36 and of Portal Avenue, 42-year-old Craig Jones of Portal Avenue and 33-year-old Andrew Gates of Garner Road.

All four had been convicted of affray at an earlier hearing.

Rhian Jackson, prosecuting, told the court that the incident happened at the Cunliffe Arms pub in Wrexham at around 10.30pm on September 24.

Pub staff member Bethan Jones had noted raised voices at the bar from around 10pm, Ms Jackson said, following which Andrew Gates walked over to Benjamin Williams and headbutted him.

What followed saw Craig Jones come "flying" into the area and jumping on the back of Williams, who took up a bottle and smashed it over Jones' head.

The bottle shattered and caused glass to go into the eye of barman Joe Parry.

Kelly Gates and another woman named Naomi Millwood - Williams' partner - tried to intervene and separate people.

But Craig Jones punched Ms Millwood to the face, and Kelly Gates joined the fracas, flailing her arms and slapping a man named Ian Rogers who had been sitting with Williams.

All of this erupted with distressed and "hysterical" children in the middle of it, the court heard.

In a victim statement, Mr Parry said he could not remove glass from his eye after 15 minutes of attempting to wash it out, so attended Wrexham Maelor Hospital where he had to wait until the following morning to be seen by a doctor.

Thankfully there was no lasting damage and by the time he was seen, the glass had been removed.

Ms Millwood said she'd been at the pub with her husband Ben Williams and their two children when someone made a remark about Williams being a 'Scouse p****', which was followed by the assault.

She also attended Wrexham Maelor Hospital with "constant headaches" and was told she may have strained her jaw.

Chris Clark, defending Kelly Gates, said his client fully accepted that whilst she was initially at the periphery of the event and had been trying to intervene, things had "moved on" and she'd flailed her arms.

He said the defendant had children to care for and would benefit from probation intervention.

Euros Jones, defending Craig Jones and Andrew Gates, said: "This was a family outing which turned very sour.

"Through the evening they had some difficulties with the other party but they should have let things go.

"They have accepted their responsibility.

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"They made a terrible mistake and have done everything possible since to move away from that.

"They will not be before the court again."

Alun Williams, defending Ben Williams, told the court: "He has no relevant convictions in the last 15 years.

"He was assaulted on more than one occasion by every single one of the other defendants but accepts his own actions were incredibly irresponsible.

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"They were incredibly stupid actions which he bitterly regrets."

Mr Williams said a custodial sentence for his client would be "catastrophic" in terms of the financial implications for his family.

Deputy District Judge Lee Davies told the four: "You have all seen the CCTV and how you acted that night - you don't need me to tell you the behaviour was disgusting.

"Not just because you're all grown adults, but to behave that way in any premises and in the presence of children makes it severely aggravated."

He said they had all come very close to being sent to prison, but was persuaded to step back from immediate custody.

Each of the defendants received the same sentence: six months custody suspended for 12 months - and a six month exclusion from the Cunliffe Pub.

Kelly Gates was handed 20 days of rehabilitation activity and was ordered to pay £85 costs, as well as a £154 victim surcharge.

Craig Jones, Andrew Gates and Ben Williams were all handed 150 hours of unpaid work, as well as being told to pay £85 costs and a £154 victim surcharge.

Williams was also ordered to pay £200 compensation to Joe Parry.