A MAN was ambushed and beaten up at a funeral wake because he had allegedly urinated in a friend’s drink on an earlier occasion, a court was told on Monday.

One of the two men who attacked Joshua Bamford and broke his jaw was the son of the woman whose funeral was being held that day, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

In the dock were Connor Baker, 22, of Buttington Road, Sedbury and Fabian Westbrook, 20, of Cinderhill Street in Monmouth.

They both admitted unlawfully wounding Mr Bamford at the British Legion club in Sedbury on December 3 last year.

Recorder Jane Rowley sentenced them both to 16 months imprisonment suspended for two years. She ordered them each to do 180 hours of unpaid work and to attend ten day rehabilitation programmes.

They were each ordered to pay £150 compensation to Mr Bamford and prosecution costs of £100.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner said that some weeks before the attack Westbrook, Baker and Mr Bamford were socialising together in Sedbury.

The court was told that while Westbrook was out of the room Mr Bamford was egged on by others to urinate in his bottle of Oasis drink.

Mr Kesner said: "Mr Bamford went to the bathroom taking Westbrook’s drink with him. When he returned it appeared he had urinated in it. In fact, he says, he did not do that - but to everyone else in the room it appeared he had.

"Westbrook promptly finished his drink and there the matter ended.

“But on December 3, the day of Mr Baker’s mother’s funeral there was a wake at the British Legion. Baker and Westbrook were there along with other friends who had been present on the night of the drink being spiked.

“Mr Bamford was invited over to speak to them, not knowing that he was going to be ambushed.

"Immediately he was assaulted by Baker with hard punches which knocked him to the ground on several occasions with Westbrook joining in.

"Once the assault was over Mr Bamford left, but he didn’t realise how badly injured he was until he went to hospital and was told he had a displaced fracture of the left angle of the mandible.

"He was immediately operated on, but he still has residual issues. He says he now speaks with a lisp and the shape of his face has changed.

Richard Twomlow, for Baker, said: "He is shocked by his behaviour. Clearly this was a day when emotions were running extremely high.”

For Westbrook, Richard Tucker said he is extremely remorseful for the level of injury he has inflicted.

Recorder Rowley told the men: "I accept this all started as a foolish schoolboy prank but led to Mr Bamford being ambushed and beaten up by you both. "

She said prison was called for, but she just felt able to suspend the sentence in all the circumstances.