A DRUNKEN fight between two men in Colchester town centre resulted in one of the brawlers getting hit by a car, a court heard.

Stephen Larke, of Burlington Road, Colchester, and Brian Ahier, of Ipswich, got into a row outside Southern Fried Chicken in Queen Street, on April 15, at about 1am. CCTV footage showed the two men squaring up to each other.

Tazmin Sharp, prosecuting, said: “Mr Ahier is seen outside the shop with food and the other man then comes in to vision.

“Mr Ahier appears to say something to the other male, who turns around and grabs hold of him and drags him around the pavement.

“Mr Ahier then falls into a bollard in the road in the direction of an oncoming vehicle. The car collides with him, he then gets up and headbutts the man.”

Ahier, of Wellington Court, Ipswich, who was visiting the town for a friend’s birthday, said he could not remember what happened because he was drunk. He suffered injuries to his head, elbow and leg during the incident.

Larke, a 27-year-old roofer, and Ahier, a 24-year-old painter, admitted using threatening behaviour at Colchester Magistrates’ Court.

Ahier, who has previous convictions, was given a community penalty of 100 hours and was ordered to pay £85 costs.

Larke was given 60 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs.