Three men who became embroiled in a drunken fight on the streets of Blackburn during the Covid pandemic have been sentenced some three years after the incident.

Curtis Lincoln, Steven Burton and David Kelly appeared at Preston Crown Court on Wednesday, charged with a variety of offences including affray and public order.

Prosecuting, Paul Treble told the court the men had been out drinking at Roberto’s Bistro in Blackburn town centre and due to Covid rules, had been sat in a tent outside.

Towards the end of the evening, a disturbance broke out involving the three defendants and another group of men, although Mr Treble conceded none of the defendants had started the altercation.

He said: “Police were called around 1.50am on September 12, 2020, to a disturbance on Northgate involving several males, some of whom were armed with weapons.

“Kelly and Burton had been struck by weapons by another group. On the face of it, it wasn’t these three defendants who started the fight.

“Lincoln then comes to the assistance of his friends and after a short period the three were wandering the streets looking for the people who had attacked them.

“CCTV showed Kelly and Burton being attacked by weapons, before Lincoln arrived armed with a baton. He is then seen jogging after some people in the street accompanied by Burton.”

Kelly was not present at this time as the court was told he had gone into an alleyway and taken his top off, as he was bleeding but couldn’t determine where the blood was coming from, and thought he had been stabbed.

Mr Treble went on: “Burton is then seen pushing a man and Lincoln approaches with the baton. Lincoln then strikes a taxi with the baton causing several hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

“He then throws the baton behind a flower display and they leave the scene to try and avoid arrest.

“Kelly is then seen shirtless and armed with a knife, although he did not brandish it in a particularly violent manner, but it is in his hand.

“The police arrested all three of them – Kelly was found with a three-inch blade and blood on him and a cut to the back of his head.

“Burton was found with blood on him and around his mouth.”

Mr Treble said Lincoln, 33, told police he was too drunk to remember what had happened but accepted he was there and offered to pay for the damage to the taxi.

Kelly, 33, told police he had been a victim and said he couldn’t remember how he came to be in possession of a knife.

While Burton, 41, accepted he was present and also said he had been a victim in the incident.

The court was told all three men are employed and live responsible lives, and have since expressed their apologies and remorse for what had happened, with Mr Treble saying none of them had been in any trouble since.

Lincoln and Kelly are of previous good character while Burton had previous convictions for old, unrelated offences.

Sentencing, Judge Darren Preston said: “It’s taken three years for this to come to court, through no fault of yours.

“Lincoln, you pleaded guilty to affray, possession of a weapon and criminal damage.

“Kelly, you pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article, but it took the Crown more than a year to accept that plea, and that’s no fault of yours.

“Burton, you pleaded guilty to a public order offence this year, but again, it’s the first time the prosecution accepted that plea.”

Lincoln, formerly of Preston New Road, Blackburn, but now of Woodford Road, Manchester, was handed six months in jail suspended for 12 months, 140 hours unpaid work and must pay £300 in damage costs to the taxi driver.

Kelly, of Preston New Road, Blackburn, was handed six months in jail suspended for 12 months and 140 hours unpaid work.

Burton, previously of Preston New Road, but now of Cannon Street, Salford, was given a one-month electronic curfew between the hours of 10pm and 7am.