One wedding guest’s face was left pouring with blood (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
A wedding reception turned into a ‘bloodbath brawl’ between up to 50 guests, with chairs, tables and glasses thrown and coat stands and fire extinguishers used as weapons.
Blood drips down one man’s face in his mugshot as a group of men are jailed for their roles in the mass punch-up, which took place in front of children.
Armed officers raced to provide retreating police with back-up as they had items thrown at them at the event.
After 30 minutes of fighting, glass and blood ‘covered the dance floor and walls’ and around £16,000 worth of ‘extensive’ damage was discovered.
The event at the Daresbury Park Hotel, Warrington, was in full swing with 150 guests expected when a barman saw three men starting to argue around 11pm, Chester Crown Court heard.
By the time he returned from the main bar 15 minutes later, a fight between some 40 men had broken out, prosecutor Robert Philpotts said.
CCTV footage played in court showed glasses and chairs being hurled across the room, displays being torn down and a sweet cart overturned.
Local police were called to the scene, but withdrew in the belief they were unable to deal with the ‘mayhem’ alone.
Brian Stokes (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
Stephen Stokes (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
John Stokes (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
Terry Stokes (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
The sentences handed out at Chester Crown Court
Edward William Stokes, 28, of Milton Keynes, was jailed for 27 months.
Terry Stokes, 36, of Winsford, Cheshire, was jailed for 21 months.
Thomas Stokes, 40, of Milton Keynes, was sentenced to 25 months.
John Stokes, 23, of Antrim, was sentenced to 16 months.
John Steven Stokes, 27, of Crewe, Cheshire, was sentenced to 21 months.
Stephen Stokes, 25, of Warrington, was sentenced to 20 months.
Brian Stokes, 25, of Crewe, Cheshire was sentenced to 18 months.
Edward Joseph Stokes, 21, of Crewe, Cheshire, was sentenced to 18 months.
Edward Stokes, 50, of Crewe, Cheshire, was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months and 100 hours of unpaid work.
It took dozens of cops – including a unit of armed backup officers – filling 30 police cars to control the mass brawl on June 26, 2019.
Warrington Hospital declared a major incident – but surprisingly only three people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The hotel’s manager told the court it was the worst incident he had seen in his entire career.
Judge Simon Berkson said the carnage would have been ‘truly shocking’ for all those who attended.
‘The events of that day were truly shocking to anyone who saw them.. For those present and innocent, one can only imagine the fear’, he said.
‘What should have been a happy occasion, a wedding, turned into a bloodbath.
‘The suite was set up for a celebration, with a DJ playing music, people dancing and enjoying themselves. This came to an end when violence broke out.’
The Stokes family has paid for more than £16,000 worth of ‘extensive’ damage caused to the hotel.
Edward William Stokes (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
Edward Joseph Stokes (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
Thomas Stokes (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
John Steven Stokes (Picture: Cheshire Police/SWNS)
The wedding reception was at the Daresbury Park Hotel (Picture: Google/SWNS)
Items worth £2,400 belonging to the wedding planner were also destroyed and £300 of alcohol was stolen and glass was taken for weapons.
Four of the defendants appeared at Chester Crown Court on Monday 14 November to be sentenced.
Edward William Stokes, 28, from Milton Keynes, was sentenced to 27 months’ in prison and Terry Stokes, from Winsford, 36, received 21 months.
Thomas Stokes, 40, Milton Keynes will be jailed for 25 months’, while Edward Stokes, 50, from Crewe was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months and 100 hours unpaid work.
On Wednesday, a further five people were sentenced, with John Stokes, 23, from Antrim, sentenced to 16 months and John Steven Stokes, 27, from Crewe was handed 21 months.
Stephen Stokes, 25, from Fairfield and Howley, was sentenced to 20 months, and Brian Stokes, 25, and Edward Joseph Stokes, 21, from Crewe both given 18 months.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Sophie Davies said innocent wedding-goers had been left ‘understandably shaken’ by what they witnessed that evening.
‘The level of violence involved meant the officers who first attended to the hotel were unable to access the function room to bring the other guests, who were understandably shaken by what was happening, to safety due to having items thrown directly at them.
‘The full extent of what happened was captured on CCTV footage from inside the hotel enabling us to see the full scale of the violence from start to finish and showed how much these men were intent on causing harm to each other as well as to others.’
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Blood ‘covered the dance floor and walls’ and around £16,000 worth of ‘extensive’ damage was caused.
