A gatecrasher turned a happy Harrogate wedding party into a Wild West brawl, a court heard yesterday.

David and Patricia Andrew's big day was ruined when uninvited guest Stephen Scaife was asked to leave and all hell broke loose at the private function, said prosecutor Simon Hickey, at York Crown Court.

The booked room at the Stonebeck pub in Jennyfields, Harrogate, was thought to have been for invited guests only, but this turned out not to be the case when 32-year-old Scaife wandered in, said Mr Hickey.

The bride and bridegroom and several guests took exception to the unwanted gatecrasher and, after Scaife refused to leave, proceedings "turned physical" added the prosecutor.

Mr Hickey said Scaife, of Norwich Drive, Jennyfields, Harrogate, pushed and shoved people as things got out of hand. The police were called to calm things down, and several people ended up being arrested.

It was later learned the landlord had failed to designate the room as private, said Mr Hickey, but Scaife told police he accepted he went too far when tempers flared.

Richard Mansell, for Scaife, said the accused should have just walked away. But instead he protested. He added: "A Wild Western-style bar room brawl then erupted and Scaife had his shirt ripped off."

Scaife pleaded guilty to using threatening behaviour under the Public Order Act and was given a conditional discharge for 12 months.

Recorder Jonathan Gibson told him: "Clearly you wrecked the day for the bride and 'groom. You went into a room where you were not welcome and you stayed. Then you got into a row with a lot of pushing and shoving."

Updated: 12:06 Wednesday, May 02, 2001