Teenager locked up for street fight

7:05am Saturday 17th May 2008

A teenage joiner who sparked a fight outside a Bradford nightclub after someone made an offensive remark about his girlfriend has been locked up for six months.

Footage of the disturbance in Chester Street in September was shown to Judge Roger Scott before he sent 19-year-old James Miller to a young offenders institution yesterday.

The judge said Miller, of Calverley Avenue, Brad-ford, was "up for a fight" that night, probably because he had had too much to drink.

Although other people involved in the disturbance received community sentences at a previous hearing, Judge Scott said Miller was the main party to the incident and those who chose to fight on the streets of West Yorkshire must expect custodial sentences.

Alan Bridger, for Miller, said he was not an experienced drinker and had drunk about seven pints of lager together with some cider. He said a gratuitous insult made about Miller's then girlfriend provoked him into striking the first blow out of "misdirected gallantry".

"It must be said drink is largely responsible for his otherwise very uncharacteristic behaviour," said Mr Bridger.

Judge Scott said his view of the CCTV footage was Miller was "straining at the leash" to get involved. Miller pleaded guilty to affray and Judge Scott said he was prepared to reduce his sentence because of his plea.

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