TWO men left a man unconscious and scarred after a late-night brawl outside Sharkey’s Sports Bar in Southampton.

Connor Betteridge and Ryan Winn threw a number of punches, knocking people to the ground during the fight outside the bar on Above Bar Street.

The pair, both aged 27, were on a night out with others when the altercation began.

A court heard how another group of men walked past them whilst they sat in the outside seating area when one of them said something.

One of the men walking past then turned and came to speak with them, sparking Winn and Betteridge to immediately stand up.

Betteridge then took his coat off and approached one of the men, punching him to the ground before kicking another man.

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Meanwhile, Winn punched another person in the face before “swinging a huge punch” at one of Betteridge’s victims, knocking him unconscious and back onto the ground.

This man was left with a visible scar above his eye and a chipped tooth meaning he had to pay several hundred pounds on dental treatment.

Meanwhile, one of his friends suffered an injury to his neck with the other not complaining of any injuries, despite being kicked.

The incident was caught on CCTV with Betteridge, of Redlands Drive, and Winn, of Linford Crescent, both pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating.

But Judge Peter Henry said the actions of the pair on that night - September 19, 2022 - were “unacceptable and potentially dangerous”.

He said: “Do either of you realise how many of these incidents end up with a death.

“What I saw on that video was thoroughly cowardly, bullying behaviour.”

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Prosecuting Tim Moores added that there had been an “element of pre-meditation” because Betteridge, who had previously been prosecuted for a late night fight in 2017, had removed his jacket.

But mitigating, Keeley Harvey said the incident was not something they had gone out looking for and was “impulsive”.

She added that both men “want to express their remorse” and are “very ashamed” of the incident which had “spiralled out of control”.

The court also heard how one of the victims had been kicked out of a nightclub before the incident and was “clearly looking for some trouble”.

Betteridge was given a nine-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and 25 rehabilitation days.

Winn was given a six-month sentence suspended for two years with 180 hours of unpaid work.

Both men must pay £500 each in compensation.