Eye socket fractured in nightclub fight

Thomas Stretton suffered a fractured eye socket and an injury to his shoulder when he was dragged down a flight of stairs and kicked and punched during the incident at the TC nightspot in March.

CCTV footage of the disturbance was shown during a hearing at Bradford Crown Court and all three men received suspended prison sentences after they admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Stretton.

Christopher Hirst, 25, of Willow Bank, Todmorden, who had a previous conviction for affray, was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years.

The court heard he accepted kicking Mr Stretton once and punching him once.

Terence Brazier, 27, of Norfolk Close, Littleborough, had his 21-month prison sentence suspended for two years after he accepted stamping on Mr Stretton twice.

Gary Brierly, 26, of Derby Street, Todmorden, accepted that he had helped to drag Mr Stretton down the stairs and his 15-month jail term was also suspended for two years.

Hirst and Brazier will each have to do 240 hours unpaid work for the community and Brierly will have to do 180 hours.

Judge Peter Benson said tensions had been bubbling that night and he was prepared to deal with the defendants on the basis that they did not initiate the violence.

He said at one stage Mr Stretton was on top of Hirst and that was the trigger for his two friends to join in.

“That sort of conduct, whatever the initial provocation, is wholly unacceptable and it is fortunate that he has not suffered any severe or permanent injury to his eyesight or indeed any more serious injury than he did,” noted the judge.

Judge Benson said he was satisfied that the three men were ashamed of themselves and he hoped that they had learned their lesson.

Each defendant will have to pay £200 compensation to Mr Stretton.