Row over burger and chips costs taxpayers £30,000

A row over the size of a burger and a helping of chips has ended up costing taxpayers more than £30,000.

Craig Robinson, 46, had elected to be tried by a crown court jury, instead of at a magistrates' court, after an argument at a North Wales pub last August bank holiday quickly escalated.

But a judge at Caernarfon crown court heard he had no money to pay court costs.

Jury members were told of the £30,000 cost - the bill for a four-day crown court hearing - after returning their verdicts yesterday.

They had cleared Robinson, from Manchester, of affray, following the row at the Silver Fountain pub in Betws-y-Coed.

But he was convicted of threatening behaviour and sentenced to a suspended three-month jail term, with 200 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to Mr Geoffrey Henshaw, aged 74, and £200 to his wife Glenys, aged 71, who the judge said had been hurt when Robinson used unlawful violence.