Baseball bat used in brawl outside pub

Liam Harry Panayi, 19, was involved in a brawl outside the Black Bull pub on Woodhouse Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, and went to his car to get the bat.

Mansfield Magistrates’ Court was told that police arrived on the evening of January 15 and found four men fighting outside the pub with punches and kicks being thrown.

One officer noticed Panayi because he had the three-foot bat that he was swinging it at the others.

All four were eventually arrested.

During questioning, Panayi said he had received a call from friend to go to the pub, but when he got there with this brother they were confronted by two young men who said they had a knife, although no knife was ever found.

Panayi, of Birch Road, New Ollerton, told police he went to his own car and the bat to defend himself.

He said he kept it with him when he went playing with his cousin’s children.

Panayi said he didn’t make contact with anyone when swinging the bat and said he was scared of being stabbed.

He admitted a charge of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, and failing to surrender to custody.

Following a report by the probation service, they said the teenager panicked at the time and was fearful of leaving his brother.

They added: “He accepts full responsibility and said he knew that anybody who would have seen him would have been frightened.”

The court was told that he suffered with depression and spent a lot of time in bed, which explained his reason for not turning up at a previous hearing.

Probation said that because of his depression, a curfew requirement was the “only option available”.

The case was adjourned for sentencing until March 3, so he could be provided with legal aid.