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Facebook party teenager cleared of brawl charges
By Jack SommersJuly 08, 2010
A PARTY in a small back garden turned into a riot after being advertised on Facebook, a court has heard.
Jordan Wright, then 17, had asked his mother Sherry Wright for permission to hold a party and advertised it to his 564 friends on the social networking website.
Winchester Crown Court was told that the gathering, on July 18 last year, was going peacefully until a mob of 200 people turned up at the flat in Chapel Lane, Farnborough.
As they tried to cram into the small garden, a brawl broke out involving 30 people.
The court was shown footage from a police helicopter at the scene an hour later.
There were dozens of people in the streets and police from Hampshire and Surrey were trying to disperse them.
They blocked cars trying to get through as police formed a single line cordon to force the revellers to move.
Ashley Pemberton, 19, of Fairfax Road, Farnborough, was alleged to have hurled a beer can at police during the stand-off.
Jeremy Wright, prosecuting, showed the jury footage of someone he said was Pemberton throwing the item.
But Judge Guy Boney threw out charges of affray and possession of an offensive weapon against Pemberton on Tuesday, the second day of his trial.
Two other teenagers have admitted charges in connection with the evening’s events.
Keith Berger, 19, of Oaken Copse Crescent, Farnborough, pleaded guilty to affray. James Mahabeer, 18, of Cambridge Road, Aldershot, admitted a public order offence.
They will be sentenced on a date to be decided.
For more on this story, see this week's News & Mail, out now.
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