Peacemaker banged heads together

A MAN got more than he bargained for when he tried to settle an argument between two friends by literally banging their heads together outside a town centre bar.
Paul Ruane, 43, was attacked by a brother of one of the men, a fracas developed and both he and his attacker were arrested for causing a public disorder.
Ruane, of Evelyn Street, Warrington pleaded guilty at Warrington Crown Court to using threatening behaviour and also admitted being in breach of a six month suspended sentence imposed for a previous offence of racially aggravated assault.
He was fined £150 and ordered to pay £100 costs.
Steven Hoolohan, prosecuting, said Ruane had been drinking with two friends when they began to argue on the pavement outside a Bridge Street bar.
Ruane tried to stop them by banging their heads together in a non-aggressive way. But a brother of one of them intervened and punched him in the face, leading to a fracas.
The court heard Ruane’s six month suspended sentence was for causing racially aggravated damage and for a racially aggravated assault in an off licence owned by a Sri Lankan when hit the owner over the head with a door handle, shouted racist abuse and stamped on stock.
Michael Davies, defending, said that Ruane was only seven weeks from the end of his suspended sentence and had only retaliated as a result of being hit.
Judge Thomas Teague told the defendant: “It would be unjust for the court to activate the suspended sentence.”