Shropshire Star

Cocaine row led to brawl at Telford brothel

A man smashed a mug into the face of another man in a row over drugs at a brothel in Telford, a court heard.

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Jonathan James lost his temper at Kandy's, which operates from a house in Holyhead Road, Oakengates.

The argument started when the victim gave James's then girlfriend some cocaine, the court was told.

The pair appeared to have "kissed and made up" on CCTV seized from the premises – but the victim, who was not named in court, returned a couple of hours later "mob handed" with friends and James stormed outside to confront them with a kitchen knife.

When he was arrested he told police: "You must be mad – I try and protect my girlfriend and you arrest me."

Nicholas Tatlow, prosecuting, said police were called to the premises at about 5am on November 28 last year.

"It advertises itself as an escort agency but in reality it is simply a brothel," the prosecutor said.

He said CCTV showed James was also hit by a broken vodka bottle as two women fled the kitchen in the melee, with broken glass and blood flying everywhere.

James was arrested by police after the second incident outside, which happened a couple of hours later, Mr Tatlow said.

Richard Davenport, for James, said: "He had told his girlfriend not to take drugs, so when this man gave her cocaine it started the pot boiling so to speak.

"When the defendant left the property with his girlfriend the man returned mob-handed. There were eight to 12 men further up the street.

"They themselves were armed, that's why he returned to the house to pick up the knife. He accepts he was wrong."

James, 35, of Corbett Close, Little Dawley, Telford, admitted charges of affray and possession of an offensive weapon at a previous court hearing.

He appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday to be sentenced.

Judge Peter Barrie imposed a six-month jail term – but opted to suspend the prison sentence for a period of 12 months.

He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and be supervised by the probation service throughout the year, as well as paying £200 towards court costs.

Sentencing him, Judge Barrie said: "The way they were behaving was a provocation to violence. But that is not an excuse to resort to a knife."

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