CCTV footage of a violent incident at a St Asaph public house was played to a court which heard that regular customers were so scared they simply got up and left.

The footage played at Mold Crown Court showed how three men went through to a bar and attacked two others.

Prosecutor David Mainstone said that there was a background to the incident in that complainant Miles Halton's partner had left him for a same sex relationship with the sister of defendant Gregory Montgomery.

But that night there had been no animosity between them and in fact the group had earlier spoken and people had been shaking hands.

Gregory Montgomery, James Burke and Thomas Montgomery all admitted violent disorder but escaped immediate custody.

Gregory Montgomery, 25, of Llys Offa, Trelawnyd, received a ten month prison sentence suspended for a year with 300 unpaid hours and an 8pm to 6am. curfew for three months.

He also admitted a later public order offence at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Bodelwyddan for which he was find £300.

James Burke, 34, of Bryn Dedwydd in Rhyl, received an eight month prison sentence suspended for a year with 200 hours unpaid work and a similar curfew.

Thomas Montgomery, 22, of Ffordd Las in Abergele, received a six month prison sentence suspended for a year with 180 hours unpaid work and a similar curfew.

All three were ordered to pay £535 costs.

Judge Niclas Parry said that any suggestion that the incident amounted to an affray was utter nonsense.

Having viewed footage, he said: "This is what is meant by a violent disorder. It was group violence on licensed premises."

Decent men were seen leaving the premises in fear and it was a prolonged incident.

But they had pleaded guilty, there was a background, they were relatively lightly convicted and there were no serious injuries.

They were all family men with dependents.

The judge said that Gregory Montgomery was the instigator who started it with a cowardly punch from behind.

Burke did not hesitate to join in and Thomas Montgomery eventually got involved although not initially.

Victims had been kicked and punched.

Judge Parry told the defendants: "Go back to living hard working family lives. Any further offending and the court would have no alternative but to send you to immediate custody."

Mr Mainstone told how the three defendants were having a drink at The Bryn Dinas after watching a football match and Mr Halton and Christopher Jones entered the pub.

Everything was perfectly amicable and they greeted each other and there was hand shaking.

The two went through to another bar but it was the prosecution case that the three defendants planned to attack them.

They talked together for some two minutes, Burke was seen to remove his top and when they went through Gregory Montgomery threw the first punch.

The violence which then followed had been caught on CCTV footage which he played to the court.

Regular customers were seen to leave the bar fearing for their own safety, he said.

The defence did not mitigate when the judge indicated the sentence that he had in mind.