TWO men involved in violent scenes at a christening party where two people were stabbed have been ordered to do community service.

Preston Crown Court heard that the landlady of the Park Gates pub at Copster Green, where the function was held in February last year, had to pay £300 for the mess to be cleared up.

The two Blackburn men on trial entered guilty pleas to a charge of affray on the third day of the trial at Preston Crown Court. Taxi driver Wasi Khan, 49, of London Road, had previously denied charges of affray, wounding with intent and unlawful wounding. Not guilty verdicts were formally returned in respect of the last two allegations. His co-defendant David Wilson, 34, a shopkeeper, of Bolton Road, had earlier denied the charge of affray.

Both men went with a friend to celebrate a christening. During the evening Khan was said to have struck an off-duty barman more than once over the head with a pool cue. A 16-year-old female bar worker sustained cuts to the hand when, it is said, he threw a glass.

Mr Mark Lambert, prosecuting, said the affray charge related to accusations that the two men were involved in violent incidents. Two others were stabbed, but the defendants were not said to have been involved in those matters. Mr Mark Stuart, defending Wilson, said his client had played no part in the start of the incident. "His first motive was to protect Mr Khan because things had started. He accepts that whatever may have started, his conduct amounted to threatening words or behaviour."

Mr Arthur Stuttard, for Khan, said that the defendant felt he had been the victim in part of an incident. He subsequently went back into the pub. "He went back in to try and get his car keys. He was going back into the place where he knew he wasn't welcome. He armed himself with a pool cue and was wielding that at the time. The defendant accepts that must have been frightening for those who witnessed it."

Khan was sentenced to 150 hours' community service and Wilson 100 hours'. They were ordered to pay £150 compensation each for the mess.

Judge Brian Duckworth said the men should not have got involved but were not solely responsible for everything that happened.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.