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05
Feb
Man with extensive criminal history jailed for Masham brawl
A notorious man has been jailed again following a fracas likened to a Wild West bar brawl.
Adam Snowdon, 33, got involved in a ruckus at the Bruce Arms in Masham – but on this occasion, he was initially the peacemaker and acted in self-defence after being “pounced” on by a group of people, York Crown Court heard yesterday (February 4).
Snowdon - who has over 100 offences on his record, many for violence - intervened when a fight broke out inside the pub in Market Place but then started throwing punches himself.
Prosecutor Lily Wildman said the fight broke out at about 11.20pm on December 20 last year but this initially didn’t involve Snowdon, who appeared to be “gesturing to individuals involved to speak to them outside and try and defuse the situation”.
But Snowdon himself then came under attack and was pushed against a wall, which then “sparked” a further altercation in which he “ended up on the floor for some time”.
Ms Wildman said that another man kicked Snowdon while he was lying on the floor.
She said that up to this point Snowdon had acted in self-defence, but then the incident spilled outside “and this is where the prosecution say the defendant has gone beyond self-defence”.
She said that Snowdon approached the man who started the trouble inside the pub and punched him about four times. This man then picked up a pint glass and went back at Snowdon who had retreated towards his vehicle where another fight broke out and the defendant assaulted another man.
Ms Wildman said it was “unclear” whether Snowdon had been struck with the glass because it was out of the range of CCTV.
She said the two men attacked by Snowdon outside had been “troublemakers” at the pub and “the defendant is clearly also being attacked”.
Snowdon, who was sober but on prison licence at the time, left in his vehicle shortly afterwards but was stopped by police and arrested. Photographic evidence showed that he “did have some marks consistent with what happened outside”.
Ms Wildman said there were “a number of other members of the public who were outside the pub during the incident with the defendant and the two other males”.
Recalled to prison
Snowdon, of Market Place, Masham, was charged with affray and admitted the offence. He appeared for sentence via video link today after being recalled to prison to serve the remainder of a previous prison sentence for serious violence.
The court heard that Snowdon’s “shocking” criminal record comprised 42 previous convictions and 114 offences.
His rap sheet, dating back to 2006, included assaulting and resisting police officers, criminal damage, affray, battery, threatening a witness, violent disorder, blackmail, racially aggravated behaviour, wounding, illegal possession of weapons and harassment.
He was released from his last jail sentence before Christmas last year but was recalled to prison shortly afterwards following the incident in Masham on December 20.
Defence barrister Ian Hudson said that Snowdon had a “long history of violence” but on this occasion “he was trying to stop the incident and was pounced on by a variety of people”.
“Somebody leaps on him and pulls him to the floor,” added Mr Hudson.
He told the court:
The violence he used was then minimal and (in) self-defence.
He said the ensuing brawl was “somewhat of a free-for-all, like something out of a Western”.
He said that Snowdon had a further five months to serve of his original sentence for a previous act of violence and was due to be released in July.
'You will end up killing someone'
Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, told Snowdon:
I accept that you did not initiate all this mess but you have to learn to walk away when you see violence because with your reputation in Masham and surrounding area, the minute you get involved, someone’s going to have a go at you because, no doubt, you will have so many enemies that everybody will want to have a pop at you, and I dare say that’s why these people were jumping on you.
He added:
You have to learn to walk away because one day, looking at your record, it’s going to go too far. The red mist will come down and you’ll end up killing someone.
However, the judge said that because of Snowdon’s guilty plea, the fact that he wasn’t the initial aggressor and his recent efforts to turn his life around, he could impose a reduced five-month prison sentence which would not add to his existing jail term on recall.
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