The behaviour of four labourers at a christening party in a Braintree pub got out of hand.
Their language was ripe while they were outside the Orange Tree pub, Cressing Road, Braintree, and they were sprayed with CS gas by police, Chelmsford magistrates heard last week. The officers also drew their batons, said Donald Oates, prosecuting.
Thomas Stokes, 49 , his son Owen Stokes,19, both of Stratford, East London, and his nephews, Oliver Torrens, 24, and Willie Torrens, 30, of Kilburn, North London, admitted using threatening words and behaviour. All were of previous good character.
Each was fined £200 with £50 costs.
Eleanor McGann, mitigating, said that they were on the edge of a family pre-christening "wetting of the baby's head".
They were quiet because news had just been received that Owen needed an operation, she said. They were not involved in a fight which broke out, but intervened when police made arrests.
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