A brother who broke the shoulder of a taxi driver after becoming involved in an altercation outside a Norfolk nightclub escaped prison by the 'merest whisker', a court heard.

Claudino Monteiro, 34, had been out in Kings Lynn and had been asked to leave Dr Thirsty's/Kudos club on Norfolk Street following an altercation.

Claudino had a sense of 'real indignation' at being thrown out while thinking the others had not.

Following a chat with his brother Luis, 39, who had also been out, Claudino 'steamed into' the other group outside the club.

A taxi driver, who had been out, was injured in the melee, which was captured on CCTV, and suffered a broken shoulder in the incident.

Claudino Monteiro, of Wallace Close, King's Lynn, had previously pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and affray on March 31 last year but was found guilty following a trial in May.

Luis Monteiro, of Hawthorns, Kings Lynn, was found guilty of affray following a trial in March.

Recorder Guy Ayers said both brothers could have 'gone home' or left the area but refused to.

Sentencing Claudino he said he had 'lost your self control and steamed in to the other group'.

Recorder Ayers said he had avoided immediate custody by the 'merest whisker'.

He sentenced him to two years imprisonment suspended for two years.

He also ordered that he do 220 hours unpaid work and pay £1,750 compensation to the victim.

Luis Monteiro was sentenced to nine months imprisonment, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.

Gwen Williamson, mitigating, for both defendants said as far as Claudino was concerned the incident has had a 'substantial' impact upon him and he felt 'ashamed' while she said Luis had also expressed remorse about what happened.