A young man who joined a fracas which involved his brother and another man at a Cumbrian holiday park has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Carlisle's magistrates' court heard that on the night of the incident involving 21-year-old Robert Gordon at the Stanwix Park Holiday Centre, near Silloth, the defendant's father died and an investigation into the tragedy is still going on.

In court, Gordon junior entered a guilty plea to a charge of using threatening words and behaviour.

Diane Jackson, prosecuting, oulined how the defendant had been at the holiday centre with his father and his brother Lee, socialising in a bar there in the early hours of March 12 this year.

Witnesses reported a fallout between the defendant's brother Lee Gordon and a man called Lewis Parker and as a result the Gordon family were thrown out of the building, said Mrs Jackson.

Mr Parker later claimed Lee Gordon had been "threatening," said Mrs Jackson.

Outside the club, in a car park, witnesses saw Robert Gordon junior running at Mr Lewis with a bottle. A short time later, he, his father, and Mr Parker ended up grappling on the ground.

John Smith, for Robert Gordon junior, said: "Mr Gordon can't remember having the bottle in his hand but he doesn't challenge that.

"There's no suggestion the bottle was ever used.

"Mr Gordon was not the initial aggressor. The initial incident was between Mr Gordon's brother and Mr Parker. Lewis Parker had worked at the caravan park with Mr Gordon's brother and they are ex work colleagues."

After that initial fallout, said Mr Smith, Mr Parker remained in the building.

"The Gordon family are asked to leave and they did leave and go back to their caravan. While they are there, Lewis Parker makes a telephone call to Lee Gordon and witnesses say that it was Lewis Parker who is being threatening towards Lee Gordon. He's trying to get Lee Gordon to return to carry on what was started inside."

Mr Smith suggested there was evidence to suggest it was Mr Gordon junior who was attacked as he was running with the bottle in his hand.

The lawyer said that all three men ended up on the floor. "Things carried on and other people got involved and sadly Mr Gordon's father died.

He added: "Mr Gordon is obviously here to be punished for what he has done.

"There are many cases where the consequences which follow on from an incident can be significantly more serious."

District Judge Gerald Chalk said the circumstances of the offence justified a jail sentence but noting that the defendant's offending had decreased in recent years he agreed to suspend the 60 day term prison there that he imposed for 12 months.

Gordon, from Trees Bank Road, Kilmarnock, must also do 80 hours of unpaid work.