A THUGGISH reveller brandished scissors in a mass brawl at a town centre nightclub, a court heard.

Around 20 men were involved in the fight outside Medina, Theatre Square, at closing time last February. The scrap started as bouncers tried to throw a group of men out the club after an incident on the dancefloor.

Now, five men have been sentenced for their part in the affray. They included talented footballer Taylor Burt, who was spared jail and even had his curfew adjusted on Wednesday nights so he can play in matches where agents are scouting for professional clubs.

The 18-year-old was still underage when he and some pals were thrown out of the Medina Club following an incident on the dance floor.

But rather than go home Burt, Wiktor Zioltkowski, 19, Jake Gibbons, 26, Antonio Rhoden, 18, and Lewis Turner, 26, were all involved in a fight in the street outside.

During the violence a man was left with a scarred face and a broken nose after being repeatedly kicked on the ground, and one of the gang brandished a pair of scissors.

Alex Daymond, prosecuting, said the fracas, involving about 20 men, happened in Theatre Square at about 6am on Sunday February 18 last year.

CCTV showed Zioltkowski punching a man to the ground before Rhoden kicked him to the head. Turner pulled a pair of scissors from his pocket and brandished them over the prone body of another man.

Meanwhile, the others were seen to throw punches. Zioltkowski was spotted hiding something behind a telecoms box, which turned out to be 15-20 wraps of cocaine.

Zioltkowski, of Evelyn Street, admitted affray and being concerned in the supply of drugs. Turner, of no fixed abode, admitted affray and possessing a bladed article.

Burt, of Ramsbury Avenue, Gibbons, of Welbeck Close, and Rhoden, of Abbey View Road, all admitted affray.

Guy Wyatt, for Burt, said his client had mainly been on the edge of the violence. He said “He is currently attending a football academy full time. The principal motivation and thrust of anyone in the academy is a career as a professional, or semi-professional career, in the game.”

He said that he needed to play in the games where scouts working for agents would be watching hoping to sign them up and get them a contract.

Emma Handslip, defending, said Zioltkowski he was 18 at the time, landed a single punch on the injured man and at the time had an £80 a day cocaine habit.

She said Gibbons, who was involved in an awful car accident years ago, accepts he could have left the scene but instead got involved.

Turner is currently serving another jail term and pulled out the scissors as he feared his cousin, Gibbons, was being attacked.

Peter Binder, for Rhoden, said he was still 16 at the time, did not deliver the first kick and had a poor upbringing after his mum was returned to Jamaica.

Passing sentence, Judge Jason Taylor QC said: “This was a joint attack where each had a common purpose to cause violence, which you did.

“A man was knocked to the floor and kicked, suffering a broken nose and broken tooth which has not been repaired due to lack of funding and a scar to his lip.

“This was a sustained incident with potential for far greater disorder. It was drunken street violence which is sadly all too common.

“A serious injury was caused, a weapon was used and feet were used as a weapon.”

Burt got a one year community order with a seven month curfew and 125 hours of unpaid work. Gibbons an 18 month order with 175 hours and a seven month curfew.

Rhoden got 16 months suspended for 18 months with 250 hours, 21 hours at an attendance centre and 15 days rehabilitation activity requirement.

Turner was jailed for 21 months and Zioltkowski had sentence deferred to December.