Liam Gallagher’s son and Ringo Starr’s grandson slammed by judge after brawl in Tesco over booze
A JUDGE branded Liam Gallagher’s son and Ringo Starr’s grandson “entitled young men” for brawling with Tesco Express staff who refused to sell them booze.
Gene Gallagher, 20, and Sonny Starkey, 21, got into the scuffle after being told they couldn’t buy alcohol because it was past 11pm.
Both were charged with assault and affray, but the charges were dropped after evidence showed the Tesco staff may have inflamed the violence.
Instead, they were bound over to keep the peace with a £500 fine if they step out of line in the next year.
Judge Joanna Greenberg told the pair: “Your behaviour was completely out of order, no doubt because you had been drinking.
“It’s hard enough for staff running late-night grocery stores without entitled young men like you thinking they can get what they want by misbehaving.
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“The prosecution have decided things got out of hand because the Tesco staff overreacted, but that does not diminish the bad behaviour you displayed during this unhappy episode.”
Their trial was meant to take place on Wednesday, but prosecutors decided not to proceed as new evidence had come to light which showed there was a "strong case" Starkey was acting in self-defence and Gallagher was defending him.
Wood Green Crown Court heard Gallagher and Starkey went to Tesco Express in Hampstead Heath, north London, in May 2019 with their model pal Noah Ponte, 21.
Ponte wanted to buy a £1.70 can of gin and tonic but couldn’t because it was outside the store’s opening hours.
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Instead, he paid £1.70 for some nuts, which he left in the store, and took the can.
CCTV footage showed duty manager Hiran Rajput grabbing Ponte and putting him in a headlock “for several minutes”.
Gallagher and Starkey then lashed out at him with “kicks and punches”.
One witness said staff were the main aggressors, saying she saw one “hitting Mr Starkey and appearing to grab him”.
A Tesco security guard told police: “The whole situation was avoidable.
"The boys started the problem, but they were clearly young and drunk. The staff should have been more patient.”
Prosecutor Alexander Agbamu QC told the court: “In light of the evidence, we believe there’s a reasonable case that they were lawfully defending themselves.
“The most appropriate charge would have been drunk and disorderly, if that.
"We are therefore offering no further evidence against Mr Gallagher and Mr Starkey.”
Ponte was tried for theft of the can but cleared by a jury after jsut 31 minutes of deliberation.
He was also bound over to keep the peace for a year, and must pay £500.
Judge Joanna Greenberg told Ponte: "I am going to bind over the defendant.
"He invited trouble by his behaviour and his actions were the catalyst for what followed.
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"But for that, this episode wouldn't have happened. I'm going to bind him over to keep the peace."
Gallagher is the son of the former Oasis frontman Liam and his ex-partner, All Saints singer Nicole Appleton.
