Father and son jailed for their parts in fight

The father of a man who started a fight with a group of Portuguese men at a Great Yarmouth bar came to his aid and swung out with a meat cleaver, a court heard.

Shane Cockrell, 20, of Blackfriars Road, Yarmouth, and his father Aaron, 36, of Yarmouth Road, Ormesby, appeared at Norwich Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced in relation to the disturbance on November 30 last year.

Shane, who pleaded guilty to affray in relation to the incident, also appeared charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm in an attack at a Yarmouth bar on June 28, 2010, possession with intent to supply cannabis on February 26 this year and being concerned with making an offer to supply cannabis on the same date. He had previously admitted the offences.

Aaron, had already admitted having an article with a blade in a public place, inflicting grievous bodily harm and affray on November 30 2010.

Shane was sentenced to a total of 30 months' imprisonment and Aaron a total of six months.

Ian James, prosecuting, said at about 9.45pm on November 30, Shane was 'stood on the street and directed aggressive words and gestures' towards the Portuguese cafe House of Snacks bar in King Street. 'It's perfectly plain that Cockrell was intending to provoke some sort of reaction with this behaviour and that's what happened.'

Mr James said Shane was seen talking on his mobile phone and witnesses heard him 'asking someone to come to him' which he said was significant as Shane was 'clearly the aggressor and not the victim of any violence at that point'.

The court heard he walked across the road and repeatedly banged on the window shouting at the occupants inside.

A man came out and approached Shane who 'struck out' and a fight broke out between them. Then more men came out of the bar and a 'larger disorder' began.

After a short period, Aaron Cockrell arrived on the scene in a silver estate car pulled up outside the bar and joined in the fight. Mr James said he later returned to the vehicle opened the passenger door and 'produced a meat cleaver'.

After unsheathing it Aaron then 'swung out with the cleaver' as a result of which one of the men received a deep cut down to the bone of the left side of his pelvis which exposed tissue.

Shane, who had been so het up he punched the windscreen of a nearby car driven by innocent people with nothing to do with the fight, and he and Aaron left in a car. They went to a petrol station where they were heard arguing with Shane, who received an injury to his forearm in the fight, heard to say 'let's kill them'.

Jonathan Morgans, mitigating for Shane, said he should be given credit for his pleas and that he was still very young. In relation to inflicting GBH, he said it was a 'one-punch offence', in relation to the drugs matters he said Shane himself was a cannabis user and it was supply in relation to a 'very limited' circle of friends.

As for the affray, Mr Morgans said there was no justification for the way he reacted and he was 'genuinely remorseful'.

Guy Ayers, for Aaron, said he should be given credit for his plea. He said he went to 'defend his son'.

He added: 'Trouble came, possibly not, knocking at his door but ringing on his phone and he went to help. He accepts he went too far.'