Two males who admitted fighting in Magherafelt nightclub given community service orders
Two 23-year-old men who took part in a fight in a Magherafelt nightclub, have been ordered to carry out community service.
Lee Leyden from Drumlea Park, Cookstown, was ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service on charges of assaulting another male, thereby causing him actual bodily harm; disorderly behaviour in licensed premises, and disorderly behaviour in Rainey Street car park.
Leyden was also ordered to pay his victim £400 compensation.
Kacper Karczewski from Bannfield Way, Toomebridge, was ordered to carry out 60 hours of community services on three charges of common assault on two males; disorderly behaviour in licensed premises, and disorderly behaviour in Rainey Street car park.
He was ordered to pay each of his two victims £100 each.
Magherafelt Magistrates Court was told on Wednesday that the incident happened in Secrets Nightclub on November 26, 2022.
District Judge Alan White questioned the delay bringing the cases to court, which he said was not the responsibility of the defendants.
He told Leyden that the assault carried out by him was “most significant”, while Karczewski had started it in the nightclub and continued in the car park.
Prosecuting counsel said at approximately 9.20pm Karczewski grabbed a male around the shoulder and spun him round, before shoulder barging him against a wall.
She said he swung a punch at the male but missed him. Outside the premises the defendant assaulted an injured party by punching him to the back of head, leaving him stunned and concussed.
Continuing, counsel said Leyden punched an injured party to the face leaving him with a chipped tooth, black eye and swelling to the face.
A defence lawyer explained the incident happened when the defendants were aged 21. He said they are now mature and held down employment.
The lawyer said they both made admissions in interview to police and had entered a plea to the charges at the first opportunity.
He stressed there were no aggravating factors in the case such as sectarianism or racism.
Counsel described the incident as “two groups of young men fighting in a nightclub with a certain amount of bravado.”