IT TURNED out to be an expensive birthday party for Selby fence erector Gordon Campbell, a court heard.

Campbell went out drinking with his brother to celebrate his 28th birthday and ended up with a £255 court bill after he was arrested following a brawl.

He also suffered a cut to his eye and bruising all over his body.

Robert Galley, prosecuting, said the incident happened in the early hours of last Friday outside Jems nightclub, in Ousegate.

Police were already there, dealing with fighting which had broken out among youths.

Mr Galley said Campbell was arrested after he was seen punching another man in the face. The defendant had consumed a large amount of alcohol and could not remember a thing.

He said: "A few lumps of cannabis were also found on him. He said he thought he would be allowed to smoke it in private, but declined to say where he bought it from."

Jane Pattison, mitigating, said Campbell was celebrating his birthday in Jems nightclub when a man walked up to him.

Out of the blue, the man told him he was going to take him outside and "kick his arse." The defendant walked away, but another man from the same group hit his brother in the face. The group were then ejected from the nightclub.

Half-an-hour later, Campbell and his brother left the nightclub, to find the two men they had seen earlier, along with another group of six men, waiting for them.

Miss Pattison said: "They were jumped by this group of men. According to one police officer's statement, one of the group was seen punching Campbell repeatedly. The officer said he had to physically drag the man away from my client. It was a sustained attack."

She said Campbell was not the aggressor and had only thrown one punch.

Campbell, of The Mount, Selby, admitted threatening behaviour and possession of cannabis. He was fined £200, with £55 court costs.

Presiding magistrate Sheila Bruce told him: "Alcohol seems to have made your birthday night out very expensive."

Updated: 12:36 Friday, August 01, 2003