Police burst into a wedding amid a massive fight after a bride asked one of the guests to leave because he had drunk too much champagne.
NHS manager Jade Topping is believed to have told her husband’s cousin Daniel Williams that “the cavalry” was on the way after he ignored requests to drink water.
However, things quickly went wrong when the 29-year-old refused to go peacefully, punching security guard Craig Brown and breaking his glasses.
The altercation escalated further when his father, John Williams, 54, punched the nephew of the venue’s owner, Luke Maxwell, who was trying to control the fight.
Witnesses who saw the fight break out in the wedding barn at Alcumlow Hall Farm near Congleton, Cheshire, described it as “absolute chaos”.
NHS manager Jade Topping is believed to have told her husband’s cousin Daniel Williams that “the cavalry” was on the way after he ignored requests to drink water.
However, the fight soon erupted into chaos when the 29-year-old refused to leave peacefully, punching the security guard and breaking his glasses.
Gardener Daniel and his father John Williams (pictured), who live together in the village of Harriseahead, near Stoke-on-Trent, were found guilty of assault.
The fight broke out on August 6, 2023, after Williams and her father, along with other family members, watched Jade and her husband get married in a lavish ceremony.
When police responded to the scene they found the security guard with a cut on his cheek, while Williams had a black eye and a red face.
Luke Maxwell, whose uncle Todd runs the place, suffered pain to his face and head after being hit in the temple.
Williams’ mother Deborah, 58, recalled that chaos broke out shortly after the newlyweds took to the floor for their first dance, Crewe Magistrates’ Court heard.
“I remember Daniel saying to me, ‘I’m going to have to sit here and drink water all night,’ but he seemed happy,” she told the court.
‘He didn’t seem drunk at all to me and I thought he was being good and compliant, then I remember Jade approaching Daniel.
‘She came from the side and behind Daniel over his shoulder, she was leaning over his shoulder and saying something to him.
‘I heard Daniel say, “I haven’t done anything wrong.” Jade then looked at me and nodded.
“I thought he was nodding at me, but security must have been behind me,” Deborah told the court.
The mother then claimed that a security guard had pushed Williams to the ground and pinned him down in “a split second.”
“I saw a lot of men gathered together and before I knew it he was being pulled to his feet and walking through a fire exit door,” the court heard.
The fight broke out on August 6, 2023, after Williams and her father, along with other family members, watched Jade and her husband (pictured) get married in a lavish ceremony.
When police arrived they found the security guard with a cut on his cheek, while Williams (pictured) had a black eye and a red face.
Recounting the incident, she recalled that there was “a lot of noise,” “chaos” and “panic” while her son was pinned to the ground.
“I saw him covered in blood. He was reeling and bewildered. He looked horrendous,” the court heard.
“He was covered in blood and his clothes were torn. My husband was clearly very upset. He had tried to help my son, who was being beaten.”
Another relative, Ruth Bostock, 51, told the court: ‘When I got to the table I discovered someone had asked Daniel to leave.
‘They say he has drunk too much. My aunt wasn’t feeling very well so I went to the bathroom with her and when I got up from the table, the girlfriend was approaching him.
“I guess she asked him to leave, but when I came out, Daniel was on the ground with several men dressed in black on top of him.
‘Two were holding him and one man was holding his legs.
“They finally left through the side door, but once outside it was total chaos.
“The gorillas knocked him to the ground and there was a wedding guest, my husband and another cousin trying to catch him.
‘Daniel was wrong for not wanting to leave, but he is not accused of not leaving the place.
“He’s charged with assault. From what I saw, Daniel was assaulted. Daniel didn’t assault anyone. John was trying to intervene.
Mrs Bostock’s husband Gary, 57, told the court: “Daniel’s behavior had been good that night.” He was a little rowdy and happy, but I never saw him bother anyone.
Williams was ordered to complete a 12-month community order, undergo 120 days of breath testing and told to pay £150 compensation with £439 costs (pictured: wedding venue).
Mr Steven Nikolich, defending, said: “This was a family affair at a specialist wedding venue in the Cheshire countryside.
‘Jade had warned Daniel that the cavalry was on the way when she spoke to him at the table, and that’s what happened.
‘They asked no questions and instead began a sustained attack on Daniel Williams.
Police said he was covered in blood from his nose when he was taken into custody. He is very disheveled and bloody in the facial area. It was in self-defense.
He continued: ‘John Williams did indeed come to try to get his son out of a melee.
‘Luke Maxwell came running and Mr Williams thought it was another person running into the melee, so unfortunately he hit him with a pre-emptive punch to the face.
‘John cares a lot about his son Daniel and was trying to help him the entire wedding night.
“That’s why he got involved and tried to get Daniel out of what he was involved with on a couple of occasions.”
Prosecutor Vincent Yip said: ‘For some reason Daniel is asked to go into the water.
“He seems to calm down and then he starts drinking alcohol again and there comes a point where either Jade or Mr Brown has asked Daniel to leave.”
His father, John, was fined £750 and ordered to pay compensation of £125 and costs of £625. Both denied any wrongdoing (Pictured: The wedding cake)
‘Daniel has refused to do so. He stood up and punched Mr Brown in the face, knocking off his glasses and causing a cut.
‘Luke Maxwell realized something was happening and got involved and John Williams punched him in the side of the temple.
“There was a very confusing commotion on the ground both inside and outside the venue.”
Gardener Daniel and John, who live together in the village of Harriseahead, near Stoke-on-Trent, were found guilty of assault.
Sentencing, Justice of the Peace Anita Davies said: “We have heard what has been said – the main problem appears to be alcohol.”
Daniel was ordered to complete a 12-month community order, undergo 120 days of breath testing and told to pay £150 compensation with £439 costs. John was fined £750 and ordered to pay compensation of £125 and costs of £625. Both denied any wrongdoing.