TEA-TIME drinks at a pub ended in violence.

Blackburn magistrates heard one female victim was knocked to the floor and kicked to the head and body by a man while one of her friends was also assaulted.

Stephen Derbyshire, 34, of Poplar Street, Haslingden, and Nikita Samuels, 19, of Belfield Road, Accrington, were both convicted after trial of assaulting Jennifer Cooke.

Sophie Chika Nwachukwu, 25, of Blackburn Road, Haslingden, was convicted after trial of assaulting Lyndsey Hargreaves.

Derbyshire was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months with 25 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 100 hours unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £400 compensation to Miss Cooke.

Samuels was made subject to a community order for 12 months with 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and 100 hours unpaid work.

Nwachukwu was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 20 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and ordered to pay £800 compensation to Miss Hargreaves.

Charges that Derbyshire and Samuels assaulted Miss Hargreaves and that Nwachukwu assaulted Miss Cooke were dropped by the prosecution half way through the trial.

Andy Robinson, prosecuting, said the two victims and another friend had gone into the JD Wetherspoon pub The Commercial in Accrington town centre after work at about 5.30pm. The defendants came in and there was some banter.

"This wasn't accepted by the defendants," said Mr Robinson.

"They went outside and Miss Cooke followed them outside to apologise. Words were exchanged and all three came at her and she was knocked to the floor."

Mr Robinson said Miss Cooke remembered being kicked to her head a few times by the male.

Miss Hargreaves went out to help her friend and she was punched to the head and body and knocked to the ground.

Janet Sime, defending Derbyshire and Samuels, said the incident had started when the group including the victims made some "lewd" comments towards Derbyshire as he and his friend walked in.

"I am not trying to defend what happened but they were not the instigators," said Miss Sime.

"Miss Samuels only got involved to try to protect her sister and accepts she pushed one of the witnesses."

Philip Turner, defending Nwachukwu, said when his client left work that evening the last thing she expected was to be involved in an incident outside a pub.

"She was persuaded by her boyfriend and sister, the other two defendants, to go out," said Mr Turner.

"This was the first port of call and she hadn't had a drink."

He said when they entered the pub the first thing she heard was the crude comment made to her boyfriend.

"She didn't confront the person who made the comment she simply walked out," said Mr Turner.

"She just wanted to go home. The flashpoint was a confrontation between her younger sister and one of the aggrieved.

"There was some pushing and shoving and then it all kicked off.

"It is clear that before she involved herself her sister was involved in a brawl with one of the other parties."