Drunken 'fools' had frenzied fight at station

The brawl erupted on the northbound platform at Durham Station in November 2022

Two groups of drunken "fools" had a frenzied brawl at a train station after a night out, a court has heard.

What initially started as joking around between a group of older men and younger men became a full blown fistfight at Durham station in November 2022, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

Staff feared some the men, who were waiting for the train to Newcastle, could end up on the tracks during the melee, the court heard, while a judge said it was lucky no-one was injured or killed.

Two men admitted affray and three a public order offence, with each fined £1,500.

The rival groups were all on the northbound platform along with other passenger waiting for a train at about 20:00 GMT on 19 November 2022, prosecutor Jessica Slaughter said.

The younger group were singing football chants and dancing around and all men were laughing and joking with each other, the court heard.

'Fortunately no injuries'

However, a brawl began when one of the younger men goaded another man, against whom criminal action was later dropped, Ms Slaughter said.

The platform quickly became the scene of a "frenzy of unlawful violence", Ms Slaughter said.

She said it was "chaos" with the brawl only ending when members of station staff and other "peacekeepers" stepped in to break the men apart.

Judge Gavin Doig said each man had behaved "foolishly" during the "very unpleasant" incident, in which alcohol played a very significant role.

"All too often this court hears cases like this this where someone falls over, hits their head and dies," the judge said, adding that could have happened to any of the men or the people who tried to intervene.

"Fortunately, no serious injury was sustained," Judge Doig added.

As well as being fined, each man had to pay prosecution costs of between £400 and £600.

The men were:

• Adam Dunn, 22, of Beresford Road, Cullercoats, who admitted a public order offence

• Paul Dejonge, 50, of Lodore Grove, Jarrow, who admitted affray

• Luke Hulme, 23, of Queens Road,Whitley Bay, who admitted a public order offence

• Luke Dreyer, 22, of Belford Terrace, North Shields, who admitted a public order offence

• Owen Foster, 23, of Alwinton Road, Shiremoor, who admitted affray