TWO tradesmen, dressed as teenage mutant ninja turtles, had altercations at two Albury hotels and finished up in the cells at the police station in February.
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A court heard yesterday how a combination of too much alcohol and perhaps their distinctive green outfits had led to Thomas Andrew Mackie and Matthew James Gesswein being refused entry to the New Albury Hotel and Groove Saint nightclub.
There were altercations at both venues and security detained them until police arrived to arrest them.
Solicitor Mark Cronin said in Albury Local Court that both had been to a birthday party and regretted what had later happened at the nightspots.
Magistrate Megan Greenwood described it as “a sorry sequence of events”.
“The facts reveal two aggressive young men that night,” Ms Greenwood said.
Mackie, 22, of Chad Terrace, Glenroy, and Gesswein, 21, of Huon Street, Jindera, both pleaded guilty to affray, assault and being an excluded person in the vicinity of licensed premises.
They were put on two-year bonds for affray, 12-month bonds and $770 fines for assault and $1100 fines on the third charge.
Mackie, a plumber, and Gesswein, a carpenter, were in the line to enter the New Albury about 12.20am on February 16.
Gesswein produced his licence to a crowd controller, but was refused entry due to his level of intoxication.
Another man remonstrated about the refusal to allow them inside and Gesswein punched a security officer with his right fist.
Mackie tried to put a crowd controller in a headlock before turning his attention to another security guard and got him in a headlock.
Other security staff became involved and the police were called, but Mackie and Gesswein had left.
About 12.40am they tried to enter Groove Saint in Dean Street but security had been told about what had happened earlier.
Both were denied entry and Mackie tried to punch a security officer, but missed.
Gesswein made an attempt to punch a security officer who had restrained Mackie.
Both were then restrained until police arrived.
“This behaviour is out of character for these young men,” Mr Cronin said.