Nine members of family jailed including a teen after 50-person bloody brawl at wedding

A 50-person "bloodbath" altercation at a wedding resulted in the imprisonment of nine members of the same family. The Daresbury Park Hotel in Cheshire sustained damage worth £18,000 as a result of the large brawl, and glass and blood were all over the walls. The Stokes family entered the fray as several guests barricaded themselves inside a function room in an effort to protect themselves from the violence. On June 26, 2019, at 11:15 p.m., a brawl broke out at the Warrington hotel and spa. For the chaos, Terry Stokes, 36, John Stokes, 23, John Steven Stokes, 27, Stephen Stokes, 25, Brian Stokes, 25, Edward Joseph Stokes, 21, Thomas Stokes, 30, and Edward William Stokes, 28 were all sentenced to prison. Edward Stokes, a 50-year-old relative, received a suspended sentence for a less serious allegation of threatening behavior. [caption id="attachment_69465" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Brian Stokes (L) and John Steven Stokes. (SWNS)[/caption] Most recently, Michael Stokes, 56, who managed to dislocate his shoulder by hurling a chair during the altercation, became the ninth family member to be sentenced to prison. Three men were bickering when a bartender departed to get something from the main bar, but when he came back, a major brawl had broken out. Glasses and chairs were thrown across the room as tables and displays were knocked over, according to CCTV evidence produced in court. [caption id="attachment_69467" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Stephen Stokes (L) and Thomas Stokes. (SWNS)[/caption] The video showed Michael Stokes hurling chairs and more than ten glasses around the room. The wedding planner added that nine years' worth of stock was lost, which made it difficult for them to provide additional weddings for which they had been contracted. Prior to this, Stokes had entered a guilty plea to the charge of violent conduct. He first claimed he acted in self-defense, but he made no further statements throughout his police interview. [caption id="attachment_69468" align="aligncenter" width="960"] John Christopher Stokes (L) and Terry Stokes. (SWNS)[/caption] Stokes was previously found guilty of the same crime of violent disorder in 2013 and received a two-year sentence. Additionally, he has a history of dishonesty convictions. Stokes has "obviously not learned his lesson," according to Judge Simon Berkson, regarding the recurrence of the violent disorder offense. Dafydd Roberts defended his client by claiming that Stokes dislocated his shoulder as a result of the physical altercation and required hospital treatment. He claimed that as Stokes had not reoffended since 2015 it was “not an entrenched pattern of offending”.

Before sentencing, Judge Berkson said: “The events of that day were truly shocking to anyone who saw them. "For those present and innocent, one can only imagine the fear. What should have been a happy occasion, a wedding, turned into a bloodbath. “The suite was set up for a celebration, with a DJ playing music, people dancing and enjoying themselves. This came to an end when violence broke out. You participated in an incident with widespread violence. "It was persistent and sustained, causing serious disruption and a substantial effect on businesses. [caption id="attachment_69471" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Edward William Stokes (L) and Edward Joseph Stokes. (SWNS)[/caption] "It ruined the day of the newlywed couple. In my judgment, the nature and extent of the event means punishment can only be achieved through immediate imprisonment. “The public would be rightly aghast if they saw what I have seen and an immediate custodial sentence was not passed.” The wedding planner added that nine years' worth of stock was lost, which made it difficult for them to provide additional weddings for which they had been contracted. Prior to this, Stokes had entered a guilty plea to the charge of violent conduct. He first claimed he acted in self-defense, but he made no further statements throughout his police interview. Stokes was previously found guilty of the same crime of violent disorder in 2013 and received a two-year sentence. Additionally, he has a history of dishonesty convictions. Stokes has "obviously not learned his lesson," according to Judge Simon Berkson, regarding the recurrence of the violent disorder offense. Dafydd Roberts defended his client by claiming that Stokes dislocated his shoulder as a result of the physical altercation and required hospital treatment.

Brain Stokes, 25, of Crewe, Cheshire, was sentenced to 18 months in jail. John Steven Stokes, 27, of Crewe, Cheshire, was jailed for 21 months. Edward Joseph Stokes, 21, of Crewe, Cheshire, was sentenced for 18 months. Edward Stokes, 50, of Crewe, was convicted to 16 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to conduct 100 hours of unpaid work.