A CHESTER Crown Court judge said the city centre was "becoming a no-go zone" at night as he sentenced four young men and a woman for a student night brawl outside a bar.

Hayley Suzanne Ashdown, 23 and her brothers Nathan David Ashdown, 20 and Thomas Simon Ashdown, 18, along with Jay Parsonage, 19 and Samuel Raynolds, 19, all appeared at Chester Crown Court on Thursday, January 30 for their part in a fight which happened just after 1am on February 26, 2019, just outside Red Door on St John's Road.

Hayley Ashdown, of Westfield Street, St Helens, pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault.

Her brothers – also of Westfield Street, had pleaded guilty to affray, along with Parsonage and Raynolds.

The four young men received suspended sentences and a community order, avoiding immediate custody "by the skin of their teeth" according to Judge Patrick Thompson, with Hayley Ashdown receiving a community order.

After viewing CCTV footage of the incident played to the court, Judge Thompson questioned why the five had not been charged with 'violent disorder', expressing frustration at the number of cases he had had to sentence involving night-time violence in Chester.

Arguing that the message needed to go out to people visiting Chester at night that such violence was unacceptable, he said: "It was like the Wild West. People seem to think they can come to Chester and [treat it] more like a battleground.

"If I was walking down the street [and saw the fighting] I would be in fear for my safety, unless I was a martial arts expert.

"It's the frustration of dealing with these cases day in and day out.

"[Chester] is becoming a no-go zone and that is not what it should be.

"If this happened outside people's homes they would not be happy about it, so why should the residents of Chester put up with it?

"People will wonder why business and tourism is going down. St John's Street is becoming prevalent for this. They may as well put a boxing ring up there."

Prosecuting, Mandy Nepal just after 1am on the night of the offence, Hayley Ashdown was walking up St John's Street and saw a group of men including Parsonage, of St Mark's Avenue, Connah's Quay and Raynolds, of Brookdale Avenue, Connah's Quay.

She commented that they "looked dodgy" with their hoods up.

Raynolds replied he was going to rob them in an alley, a comment intended as a joke.

An unknown man who was with Hayley Ashdown took the comment badly and struck out at Parsonage and Raynolds, giving the latter a bloody nose.

The incident rapidly escalated into a street fight with flying kicks and numerous punches thrown, in an incident captured on CCTV footage and on bodycam footage worn by door staff at Red Door.

Thomas Ashdown – who had only just turned 18 at the time – was knocked unconscious during the fight.

Hayley Ashdown was seen initially trying to break up the fight before swinging her shoes towards men, and at one point she kicked a man while he was on the floor while not wearing her shoes.

In police interview, she said she was 'eight and a half to nine out of 10' on the drunkenness scale, had been to Off the Wall and was walking up the street when she made the comments to the group of men.

Parsonage was not drunk during the fight but did recall kicking out at someone on the back of their leg, as well as punching and kicking people, because they were assaulting his friend.

Raynolds was 'seven out of 10' drunk and recalled being "stupid, aggressive and out of control" as he threw punches, including aiming a high kick at the unknown male's head.

He believed he broke his nose in the fight.

Nathan Ashdown said he was 'nine out of 10' drunk, did not know who started the fight but saw his little brother was involved.

Thomas Ashdown admitted he would not have got involved had he not been drunk, and of his actions, called himself "an idiot and a t*t."

All defendants were of good character except for Hayley Ashdown, who had one previous conviction for arson in 2012.

Neil Gunn, defending Hayley Ashdown, said she was "doing her level best" to break up the brawl, with Judge Thompson adding: "It must have been very upsetting to see her brother lie on the ground unconscious."

Charles Lander, defending Nathan Ashdown, said the defendant had only just turned 20, and had not celebrated his birthday this week knowing his fate was up in the air.

He had accepted what he had done was wrong and was remorseful and sorry for his actions.

Gareth Bellis, defending Thomas Ashdown, said the defendant had been celebrating his 18th birthday on the night. A pre-sentence report was very positive, showing him a low risk of reoffending and a low risk to the public.

Chris Hunt, defending Parsonage and Raynolds, said both were just 18 at the time and had showed remorse. Like all the other defendants, it had been 11 months since the incident and none of them had committed any further offences.

Sentencing Hayley Ashdown, Judge Thompson said: "Watching the CCTV, it was an ugly, horrible incident that is becoming prevalent in Chester.

"You are initially acting as a peacemaker."

She was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 100 hours unpaid work and 10 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.

Sentencing the four men, Judge Thompson said: "You came into Chester for a night out and it's a welcoming place, it encourages visitors.

"What it does not encourage is young people behaving like a pack of wild animals, louts and yobs.

"It's a difficult decision for me; people behaving in this way deserve to be sent to prison. What balances against that is you are all decent, hard-working young men.

"You have come as close as possible [to going to prison] by the skin of your teeth today."

Nathan and Thomas Ashdown were sentenced to nine months in a young offenders institution, suspended for 18 months, with Parsonage and Raynolds sentenced to eight months in a young offenders institution, again suspended for 18 months.

All four must complete 200 hours unpaid work and 20 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement.