Second brother cleared of alleged attack

A SECOND brother has been cleared of being involved in a brawl at a Suffolk hotel during which a man suffered a broken jaw.

Daniel Knights, 23, and his brother Adam Knights, 25, had both denied wounding Thomas Donegan with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm and an alternative less serious charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Adam Knights, of Saxon Road, Saxmundham, had the case against him thrown out by the trial judge earlier this week because of insufficient evidence and yesterday a jury at Ipswich Crown Court took less than two hours to find Daniel Knights, of Valley Road, Leiston, not guilty of both charges.

The court heard the brothers were at a pre-Christmas drinks party at the White Horse Hotel, Leiston, on December 23, 2010 and had been asked to leave after an incident in the smoking area.

The brothers had returned to the premises and Daniel Knights was alleged to have become involved in an argument with Mr Donegan outside the hotel and punched him.

Mr Donegan was upset and walked through the hotel to an outside patio area where there was a confrontation during which he was allegedly punched by Daniel Knights and kicked while he was on the ground.

Mr Donegan was later found to have a broken jaw and underwent surgery to have a metal plate inserted. Giving evidence, Daniel Knights said he had been standing on a patio outside the pub when Mr Donegan shouted through a gate that he was going to kick his head in.

Knights said he had gone to grab him through the gate but had not made contact. Mr Donegan had walked off and Knights saw Mr Donegan and two of his friends come out on to the patio.

He claimed Mr Donegan went straight for him, punched him to the ground and kicked him in the head while one of his friends pinned him down.

Cross-examined by prosecution counsel Richard Kelly, Knights denied he had kicked Mr Donegan in the head while he was on the ground.