A BIRKENHEAD man has avoided jail after he was involved in a violent melee outside a club, which witnesses described as a “mini war zone”.

Raymond Dolan, 30, of Argyle Street, Birkenhead, was one of five men alongside Tyler Blaker, from Oldham, and brother Phillip, and David and Anthony Hughes who avoided custodial sentences following the altercation, which took place outside The Paradise Working Men’s Club in Martin Street, Burnley, in October 2019.

All five defendants pleaded guilty to a public order offence and were sentenced at Burnley Crown Court.

The court was told how the Blaker brothers, along with Dolan, were attending an engagement party at The Paradise Club that evening.

The Hughes brothers, who were unknown to the other three, were also at the club but in the public bar area, separate from the function.

Prosecuting, Shirlie Duckworth said: “A fight broke out outside the club between the two parties.

“Dolan got into a verbal altercation with Anthony Hughes, who threatened to put him in the boot of a car.

“David Hughes then came out and requested some car keys before driving off.

“It was at this point that Dolan went inside to get the Blaker brothers and when all three of them went back outside, there was further confrontation with Anthony Hughes, before David Hughes re-emerged and threatened to put one of the Blaker brothers in the boot of the car.

“A fight then ensued between them all, with the five males all being as bad as each other.

“Some people who had been present at the time tried to diffuse the fight, others aggravated it.

“The attack was later described as horrendous by witnesses, with one person describing it as a ‘mini war zone’ and another calling it ‘absolute carnage’.

“One of the Hughes brothers was described as being the main instigator, but Anthony Hughes went on to tell police ‘it was the Scousers who did it’, in reference to the Blaker brothers.”

It was heard that so terrifying was the violence that customers and staff barricaded themselves inside the club for safety.

Anthony Hughes was covered in blood when the police arrived, with David Hughes needing to be taken to hospital with a fractured eye socket and nose, which still requires surgery two-and-a-half years later.

All five defendants were eventually arrested, with the Blaker brothers and Dolan telling the police the Hughes brothers started on them over comments made about a football match.

Mitigating for Tyler Blaker, Philip Holden said: “They didn’t start the incident, but they were taking part and the catalyst was a threat from one of the defendants to one of the Blaker brothers.

“They did not set out on that evening to cause any difficulty to anyone else.”

Anna Bond, for Phillip Blaker, said her client expressed remorse and understood the effects of his actions and referred to his behaviour as “stupid”.

Representing Dolan, Rebecca Smith said: “This incident happened in drink where both sides have been embroiled in a street brawl and a melee.

“The incident is now two and a half years old, and the defendant has now moved back to Birkenhead where he is from.”

In mitigation for both the Hughes brothers, Mark Stuart said: “They both became involved in a very ugly scene and they have to take responsibility for their involvement.”

Sentencing the quintet, Recorder Geoffrey Lowe said: “Customers and staff were really quite horrified by the degree of violence and locked themselves in the pub.

“The police were called and came across each of you in different circumstances with different injuries.

“The reality of the situation seems to me that you became involved in matters as a result of the incident unfolding.

“The incident developed rapidly into unpleasant violence, but it is now two and a half years ago and I feel community orders are satisfactory.”

Dolan, 30, of Argyle Street, Birkenhead, received a 12-month community order with 25 days’ rehabilitation activity and 100 hours of unpaid work.

Tyler Blaker, 25, of Taunton Road, Oldham, was given a 12-month community order with 180 hours of unpaid work.

Phillip Blaker, 33, of High Close, Burnley, was also handed a 12-month community order with 160 hours of unpaid work.

Anthony Hughes, 34, of Higher Reedley Road, Brierfield,  also received a 12-month community order, 10 rehabilitation days and 90 hours of unpaid work.

David Hughes, 36, of Standen Hall Drive, Burnley, was handed a 12-month community order and placed on electronic curfew for 12 weeks between the hours of 9pm and 7am.