THREE members of the same family have been sentenced for their part in a mass brawl in which one of them used a makeshift weapon to assault their victims outside a petrol station.

Robert, Stuart, Tiffany and Tyler Rossiter, all of Virgil Road in Witham, attacked Luke Wager, Dale Wager, and Stuart Cooper and caused them serious injury in Braintree Road, Witham.

The fight stemmed from an alleged racist comment being made by Luke Wager towards Tiffany Rossiter at the Cherry Tree pub in June 2021.

Tiffany Rossiter’s then partner Stuart, who worked at the pub as a chef and was celebrating his 41st birthday that day, then punched Luke Wager twice.

Fight – the four Rossiters, one of whom has since died, started the brawl outside a petrol stationFight – the four Rossiters, one of whom has since died, started the brawl outside a petrol station (Image: Google Street View)

Fifteen minutes later, the Rossiters met Luke Wager, Damon Wager and Jack Cooper outside a Texaco petrol station.

Stuart Rossiter had brought a dumbbell with him to the altercation, whilst his brother Robert – who later died from injuries he suffered in the fight – taking a pair of nunchucks.

Rebecca Thomas, prosecuting, said: “Mr Cooper feared he was going to die.

“In his statement, Dale Wager says he received 20 stitches in his lip as a result of a kick from Tyler Rossiter.”

Tyler, who is Stuart and Tiffany Rossiter’s son, was 17 at the time of the incident.

Traffic on the road stopped whilst the fight played out in front of horrified onlookers.

When the case was heard at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, there were outbursts from the defendants in the dock which prompted Her Honour Judge Mary Loram to reprimand the three.

She said: “Your defence counsel has been trying to persuade me you are someone not prone to outbursts.

"Stop it, all of you – you’re not helping yourselves.”

All three admitted affray, with Stuart Rossiter doing so a week before his trial.

 Judge Loram said Tiffany Rossiter had “the worst previous convictions out of all of them”.

Violent – Tiffany Rossiter received a community order, whilst Tyler and Stuart Rossiter received suspended sentencesViolent – Tiffany Rossiter received a community order, whilst Tyler and Stuart Rossiter received suspended sentences (Image: Getty Images)

She added: “You should hang your head in shame, bringing your son to follow in your footsteps.”

Tyler Rossiter, 20, was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for one year whilst his mother Tiffany, 41, was given a community order for having a lesser role to play in the violence.

Stuart Rossiter, 44, was given a 20-month prison sentence suspended for two years.