Chesterfield dad and son stormed pub with baseball bat as police worked inside

Phillip Mellon Junior and Phillip Mellon Senior stormed the Hollingwood Hotel seeking retribution over an earlier fight at the boozer which saw Mellon Junior return home “heavily bleeding”.

Derby Crown Court heard Mellon Senior, 52, picked up a chair and hurled it at a man who had delivered blows to his son earlier the same evening - around 9.30pm on May 26 last year.

While the same man was struck with “what he believed was a baseball bat” to his lower back.

CCTV footage taken from inside the pub showed pub-goers looking on, attempting to avoid the chaos as the group of men traded blows.

Prosecutor Nicola Patten told how earlier that evening Mellon Junior, 31, was “kicked and punched” by two men, losing consciousness, when a row involving his ex-partner broke out.

However, as the Mellons returned seeking revenge, neither defendant was aware that police were upstairs reviewing CCTV footage from the earlier fight as hell broke loose downstairs.

CCTV footage showed police running into the lounge to restrain a “compliant” Mellon senior and a “not so compliant” Mellon Junior.

Ms Patten said: “Mr Mellon Junior complained of a broken wrist and had to be taken to the floor when he became aggressive with officers outside.”

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The court heard the Hollingwood Hotel landlady was injured during the brawl and children were present as it unfolded.

Ms Patten said both father and son had previous offences - Mellon Senior had four convictions including a 1998 ABH charge while Mellon Junior had three convictions including a “serious” violence offence when he was aged 18.

Mellon Junior’s barrister said the father-of-three had a history of drug and alcohol misuse.

However the “catalyst” for the May 26 offence was the breakdown of his relationship with his partner of 14 years.

Gareth Gimson, defending Mellon Senior, said his client had not been in trouble for 27 years but had seen “red mist” after seeing his son “on the wrong end of a serious assault”.

He added: “He was minding his own business when his son comes through the door bleeding heavily.

“Stupidly Mr Mellon Senior took the decision to get into the car and go back to the public house.”

Mellon Junior, of Heath Road, Holmewood, admitted affray, assault by beating and resisting a police officer. He was bailed and will be sentenced at a later date.

Mellon Senior, of Church Street, Calow, admitted affray and common assault.

Judge Nirmal Shant QC told Mellon Senior: “What on earth you thought you were doing on that day is difficult to understand.

“You chose to go and confront those you believed to be responsible while your son appeared to have a metal baseball bat in his hand.

“Such incidents where members of the public are present are plainly serious matters.”

However the judge suspended an eight month jail term for two years, noting Mellon was the sole carer for his wife and his family had been hit by a number of “personal tragedies” in recent times.

Mellon Senior was handed 10 rehabilitation activity days and 50 hours unpaid work.

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