'Disgraceful' mass brawl broke out on train after a day drinking in Leeds
A brawl involving two groups of drunken males broke out on a late-night train out of Leeds.
The clash took place on the Doncaster-bound service and was recorded on a mobile phone by one shocked passenger, which was played to Leeds Crown Court this week.
Anthony Hughesman appeared in the dock after admitting affray, with the judge describing the incident as “pretty disgraceful”. The 59-year-old was seen in the thick of the fighting, throwing punches.
The court heard that the two groups boarded the last service to Doncaster at 11.30pm on April 23, 2022. There were verbal arguments with the one witness describing them as being “crude and obnoxious”.
But it was alleged that a comment was made to a female in Hughesman’s group and threats were then made by him about fighting. Hughesman, of Beckett Road, Doncaster, then punched another man in the face causing injury to his eye.
The camera-phone footage was played to the court and showed a group of about six people brawling in the middle of the carriage. There were screams, shouting, swearing and threats being made.
A pre-sentence probation report into unemployed Hughesman suggested he was “clearly ashamed of his actions” and that it was “clearly related to drink”. Hughesman said he had been out drinking all day for a friend’s birthday, but he did not drink regularly.
No further mitigation was offered by his barrister after Judge Christopher Batty said he would not send him into custody. Instead, he gave him six months’ jail, suspended for 12 months, along with a one-month electronic tag curfew.
He told Hughesman: “That [video] was not easy watching. It was pretty disgraceful. It was the result of too much drink, quite clearly. You have done the decent thing and entered a plea of guilty.”