Brothers jailed for attack outside Covingham pub

Cameron Edwards and Ross McCulloch, who were previously jailed for a pub brawl four years ago, were each jailed for 10 months at Swindon Crown Court for their parts in an unprovoked assault on Patrick Quinn.

Earlier, during a trial the court heard Mr Quinn, then 18, had been trying to calm squabbling between girls outside The Messenger pub, Covingham, in February last year when he was struck by a punch from Edwards.

The brothers landed several more blows while Mr Quinn was on the floor.

He was left with eight stitches in his lip, a badly bruised nose and two black eyes.

Mr Quinn had only met the pair that night in the pub and the jury heard he and McCulloch had bought each other drinks and played pool.

McCulloch originally claimed he did not take part in any violence and Edwards, who boxes in his spare time, suggested he threw the punch because he believed Quinn had threatened to “glass” his brother but the jury rejected their accounts.

Defending the pair, James Bromige said: “With regards to McCulloch, outside social hours, he is a hard-working, family man who now has a daughter of seven months old, who had not been born at the time of this offence.

“His employers were also happy to keep him on because they recognised him as a hard worker.

“Edwards has lost his employment as an agency factory worker at Honda and his partner is approaching five months of her pregnancy. He is the breadwinner and had been in employment since leaving prison in 2010 and wants to carry on working.”

Judge Douglas Field said: “The serious circumstances of this offence are aggravated by your previous offending.”

Local Crime Investigator Tracey McNeil said: “This was an unprovoked attack by two men unknown to the victim.

“Both Cameron Edwards and Ross McCulloch left the victim needing hospital treatment.

“Wiltshire Police will not tolerate any form of violent assault and we will bring those responsible to the full force of the law.”