Three are jailed for gang attack at pub

Burnley Crown Court heard how victim John Varey left the Queens Hotel, Eastgate, with blood pouring from his head on July 6.

Accrington men Tahir Ghafoor, 23, of Derby Street, Yasir Hussain, 23, of Ormerod Street, Mohammed Amin, 22, of Steiner Street, Ilias Khan, 28, of Stevenson Street East and Irfan Sarwar, 27, of Monk Street, all admitted violent disorder.

Ghafoor, Amin and Khan were all sent to prison and Hussain and Sarwar were both given 12-month custodial sentences, suspended for two years, with 150 hours unpaid work and £75 costs.

Charlotte Law, prosecuting, told the court that at about 6.30pm, Mr Varey was in the pub when ten men, including the defendants, turned up.

She said Ghafoor and Amin were both armed with baseball bats and Mr Varey was assaulted from behind as he sat at a table. He was bleeding when he left the pub.

Miss Law said that when questioned by police, Khan and Amin made no comment. She said: "Hussain admitted that he was the second man to enter the premises and gave a partial account of what happened. He accepted he got a call from Khan, met some friends in a car park and went into the pub.

"He made no comment to most of the questions."

The prosecutor said Sarwar gave officers a fuller account. He admitted he was at the scene, threw a punch and knew his actions were wrong. Miss Law said Ghafoor admitted being at the pub.

He said he had got a phone call to go there, was passed a stick as he went inside and knew there was going to be trouble.

He admitted swinging the bat towards the victim and said he shouldn't have got involved.

Ghafoor had previous convictions for possessing prohibited and offensive weapons and possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Hussain was of previous good character, Amin had been convicted of conspiracy to damage property, Khan had a record for using threatening behaviour and Sarwar had a conviction for resisting police.