THREE men have been sentenced for their part in a brawl at a Bolton betting shop with a man who had attended an anti-mosque demonstration.

Rizwan Umar, aged 28, of Rawson Road, Heaton; Yasin Marviadi, aged 24, of Witney Close, Halliwell and Zakir Chana, aged 24, of Martindale Gardens, Halliwell all admitted affray at Bolton Crown Court.

Last month Adam Handley, aged 25, of Wilton Street, Astley Bridge was cleared by a jury of using unlawful violence in the incident at the William Hill bookmakers on Halliwell Road on June 29 last year.

Umar was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years and ordered to do 90 hours unpaid work plus pay £1,000 prosecution costs and a £100 victim surcharge.

Chana was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 40 hours unpaid work, pay £750 prosecution costs and a £100 victim surcharge.

Sentencing of Marviadi was adjourned until July 15 to allow for medical tests to be carried out. Judge Stead told him that if he is deemed fit, he will be ordered to do 70 hours unpaid work.

David Bentley, prosecuting, told the court how Handley was outside the bookmakers when he became agitated.

He challenged the men, later identified as Marviadi and Chana, to come into the shop where there were CCTV cameras.

The two men took up the challenge and were ordered outside by the manager, but they returned a short time later and a brawl started, during which there was punching and kicking and tables at the back of the premises were overturned.

Umar, who had been driving past the premises and became involved in a verbal altercation with Handley in the street, also entered the shop and joined in the fighting.

A crowd gathered outside the shop and police, concerned about public order, arrested Handley, the three defendants and another man, who later had charges against him dropped.

“The situation was described as particularly intimidating,” said Mr Bentley.

Neil Fryman, defending Umar, who has previous convictions for violence, said Handley had been aggressive, but the defendant should have walked away.

Defending Marviadi, Mr Fryman said the defendant, who lives with his parents and cares for his disabled mother, had no previous criminal convictions and was deeply remorseful.

Isobel Thomas, defending Chana, said he had been fasting that day.

“His patience was in short supply and it was out of character for him. He deeply regrets his actions,” she said.

Judge Timothy Stead told the men that, fortunately, no innocent people had been injured but that the affray had been “most unseemly and alarming violence in a public place.”