Charlie Attrill and Stuart House sparked brawl at the Ice House pub in Southampton

Stuart House, 30, and Charlie Attrill, 25, brandished six-inch knives in front of revellers outside the Ice House, in Shirley Warren, where a family birthday party was taking place.

House then used a wooden fence post to smash the pub’s windows in what was described as an “act of revenge”, following an earlier altercation at the venue.

Yesterday, the pair, from Southampton, were given a suspended sentence by judge Tom Brown, who described the incident as “brutal and scary”.

Prosecuting, Rob Griffith, told Southampton Crown Court how the incident took place shortly after midnight on October 21 last year.

Mr Griffith said the pair entered the pub while the owner’s daughter, Kylie York, was celebrating her 30th birthday.

She began arguing with House outside the venue, on Warren Avenue, when House pushed her to the ground.

In retaliation, Ms York’s brother, Tony York, punched House to the floor.

Both House and Attrill left the pub and returned to the flat of House's girlfriend, where they armed themselves with kitchen knives.

Around 15 minutes later, House, Attrill and two women returned to the pub, with both men brandishing the knives.

The two groups then engaged in a brawl, which was filmed by the pub's CCTV.

Mr Griffith said: “House came into the pub with a female and was told to leave.

“Attrill was outside with another female. Inside there were children crying.

“It was something of a Wild West brawl. There were people involved from both sides.”

During the incident, House had his knife taken, but then picked up a wooden fence post, which he used to smash the pub’s windows.

Mr Griffith said the pair left the pub before police arrived.

Attrill was later arrested in the street, with blood on his top and trainers.

Ms York was taken to hospital with a head injury, while Mr York suffered an injury to his hand – believed to be from the smashed glass.

In a police interview, Attrill admitted taking cocaine, amphetamine and drinking 11 pints before the incident, while House, who denied he was on drugs during the incident, said he was “seven out of ten drunk”.

Mitigating, Khalid Missouri said House had previously served in the army, completing a tour of Afghanistan, before being discharged after testing positive for cocaine.

He said that House, who pleaded guilty to affray, possession of a knife and possession of a weapon, was “deeply, deeply remorseful” over his part in the incident.

But he added the decision to return to the pub was not motivated by revenge and instead focused on his desire to find his girlfriend's missing handbag, which she believed was at the pub.

Mr Missouri said the decision to arm himself was for protection following the earlier altercation, which left him with a black eye.

Mitigating for Attrill, Keely Harvey said he was troubled by the death of his son and was attempting to fundraise for his headstone.

Ms Harvey said Attrill was a trained ground-worker, earning up to £100-a-day, which he used to support his other six-year-old son and his current partner's two children.

She added that Attrill, who pleaded guilty to affray, possession of a knife and possession of cocaine, “bitterly regretted” returning to the pub.

Attrill, of Lockerley Crescent, Southampton, and House, of Old Redbridge Road, Southampton, were given a 12 month sentence by recorder Tom Brown, who suspended both terms for 18 months.

Judge Brown also ordered both to complete a rehabilitation programme with probation and for House to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

Attrill was fined £300 separately for the possession of a small quantity of cocaine.