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Never pick on a cross-dressing cage fighter

Gareth Llewellyn
Wednesday 07 October 2009 14:23 BST

Two men were knocked to the ground by a cage fighter in drag after they picked a fight with his friend, a court has heard.

Dean Jonathan Gardner, aged 19, and 22-year-old Jason Andrew Fender, were left dazed after picking on the wrong man during a night out in Swansea city centre.

The pair, who live on Llanerch Road in Bonymaen, were both intoxicated and aggressive during the early hours of 30 August after drinking jugs of cocktails.

A CCTV camera captured the pair involved in a large fight outside the city's Escape nightclub which involved a reveller dressed as Spider-Man.

After the melee dies down, the pair are then seen walking along Kingsway before Gardener decides to confront a man passing who was wearing black hot pants and a pink wig.

After throwing a punch at him, Gardner and then Fender are both floored in quick succession by another man in drag who was wearing a short black dress with stockings and suspenders.

When Gardner eventually gets to his feet, he groggily stumbles along before falling over again.

A short time later, both men were arrested.

In Swansea magistrates court on Monday, the pair both pleaded guilty to a count of using intimidating behaviour or words on the night.

Mark Davies, defending both men, said: "It is an absolute shame two young lads with no convictions bring themselves to court. They did not go out looking for trouble.

"Unfortunately they were extremely drunk, and you know it cannot have been a good night when you get into a fight with Spider-Man and two cross-dressing men."

The court heard the two men in drag were believed to be cage fighters.

Katrina Guntrip, magistrates' chairwoman, ordered both Gardner and Fender to carry out a four-month community order and pay prosecution costs of £85 each.

They will also be electronically tagged for the duration of the order and remain under house curfew between 7pm and 7am.

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