Dad and son attacked pub staff and customers after being told they couldn't take pints outside

A father and son duo caused chaos in a pub after being refused permission to take their drinks outside. Scott Ball resorted to wielding a makeshift rock in a sock while his son Kurtis Ball headbutted the pub landlord.

The Balls entered the Eli Jenkins pub on Oxford Street, Swansea, Wales, at around 3.30pm on February 10, ordered lagers, and after being stopped from leaving with their glasses, insisted on their supposed entitlement to drink 'wherever they wanted'.

A confrontation ensued, with Kurtis Ball threatening to "have" the barman and Scott Ball threatening to stab people in the bar before producing a sock containing a rock which he started swinging at staff. Several customers attempted to intervene, one of whom was punched in the face during the chaos, while another used a walking stick to "intercept" the swinging sock, reports Wales Online.

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Kurtis Ball then headbutted the barman in the face. Swansea Crown Court heard that the pair were eventually thrown out of the premises, and Scott Ball hurled his glass towards a customer, though it missed and shattered on the door, before the defendants walked away along Oxford Street towards Union Street. The police were summoned and the defendants were found a short distance away on Park Street where they were arrested.

Upon being detained, Kurtis stated: "All this because of my f****** father." In their subsequent interviews, Scott Ball responded "no comment" to all questions, while Kurtis Ball confirmed he had gone to the pub for a drink with his father but claimed he was unaware his dad was carrying a weapon.

Scott Ball, 44, with no fixed residence, previously admitted to affray and carrying an offensive weapon during his court appearance via video link from prison. Ball has a significant criminal history with 37 prior convictions covering 84 offences.

These include multiple instances of carrying offensive weapons or bladed articles, assault causing actual bodily harm, sexual assault, public order offences, and criminal damage. In March 2024, he received a two-year incarceration for launching a racist tirade against south Asian students outside a Swansea nightclub, during which he told them to "go back to your own country" and pursued them brandishing a knife. He is presently serving this term.

Kurtis Ball, 23, from Llwyncelyn Avenue in Pontarddulais, holds a record of five previous convictions that span nine offences including intent to supply Class B drugs, drunk and disorderly conduct, assault by beating, as well as a public order offence all dating back to 2021.

Dan Griffiths, representing Scott Ball, acknowledged that his client had an "unenviable record" which included offences for possession of weapons, and conceded that the court would have no alternative but to deal with him in one way only. Stuart John, representing Kurtis Ball, said his client had been "effectively thrown out of the family home" due to his cannabis use, which led to a rapid unravelling of his life and subsequent convictions.

Mr John highlighted that the birth of a child marked a "turning point" for Kurtis, who had previously maintained full-time employment and was ready to work again. He argued that it was clear Scott Ball had played a more significant role in the events at Eli Jenkins, suggesting Kurtis "probably felt a sense of loyalty" to his father and "found himself to some extent in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Judge Catherine Richards pointed out that Scott Ball had intentionally armed himself with a rock in a sock while on court bail for separate weapons charges, and had taken a leading role in the subsequent pub incident. Judge Richards sentenced Scott Ball to 14 months in prison, to be served consecutively to the two-year term he is already serving.

Judge Richards acknowledged that Kurtis Ball "did not have a good start in life" and expressed her belief, based on all the information presented, that there was a genuine chance for his rehabilitation. She addressed him directly, saying: "You have the opportunity to be so much more than the example you have been shown."

Kurtis Ball received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, with the requirement to undertake a rehabilitation course and complete 100 hours of unpaid community work.