Military servicemen brawled in Shrewsbury's Montgomery's Tower over a lighter, court told

Two groups of men, from the Army and RAF, fought at closing time outside a Shrewsbury nightspot – though it is claimed that one set was acting in self defence.

Four RAF helicopter pilots from RAF Shawbury appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court charged with affray following the incident.

The fight broke out outside Montgomery's Tower in Lower Claremont Bank, Shrewsbury, on September 9, last year.

James Shrives, 26, of Lee-on-the-Solent, and Alex Robinson, 26, Joshua Richardson, 28, and Luke Day, 26, all of RAF Shawbury, deny being involved in the affray, saying they were acting in self-defence.

Opening the case, prosecutor Stuart Clarkson said: "These four men were from RAF Shawbury and were out celebrating reaching a particular milestone in their RAF training.

"Events took a turn just after midnight. They left the bar which is where events unfolded.

"One of the lads from the Army asked if they had a lighter and one of the other group said something like 'we don't smoke'.

"It turned ugly all over a lighter."

Jurors at the start of the trial yesterday were shown 13 minutes of CCTV footage of the fight, where the men were seen talking and arguing before the situation erupted into fighting.

Blows were thrown by both groups of men before Shrives was seen lying on the floor dazed at the end of the attack surrounded by his three fellow defendants. The other three men walked off towards the centre of Shrewsbury.

Defence solicitors said the four men's part in the fighting was in self-defence.

Jurors also heard evidence from three witnesses, Lewis Healy, Jamie Simpson and Matt Harris, who were working at Montgomery's Tower on the night, who said they saw some men trying to calm the situation but were unable to say which group they came from.

A statement was also read out on behalf of Ashley Till, who had been the shift manager at Montgomery's Tower on the night of the incident.

At the close of the prosecution case Mr Clarkson read out a summary from the statements made from the defendants during police interview after the case.

All said they were acting in self-defence and were ashamed after being shown the CCTV footage, but said they acted with force they felt was reasonable at the time.

In his interview, Day said: "I felt that was what I had to do at the time because he was hurting my friend."

He described how he watched the fight unfolding from a first floor office, after calling the police.

The trial continues.