Four men have appeared in court after a brawl at a baby's inquest.

A small army of police descended on Archbishop's Palace on November 8 in what is believed to be the first time in living memory that police had to be called to a Kent inquest.

A total of two marked cars, two police vans, and 14 police officers attended and four men were arrested.

The fight, in which chairs were thrown and a police officer was grabbed by the shirt, broke out during a break in the hearing for one-year-old Jimmy Robinson.

Coroner Ian Wade told the court he had been made aware of an act of intimidation against a witness before the incident unfolded.

Baby Jimmy died in June 2017 after suffering a possible cardiac arrest at his mother's home in Institute Road, Chatham.

Mum, Jordan Beck paid a loving tribute to her son following the turbulent hearing.

The infant's father and grandad Tommy and James Robinson, his mother's partner Joe Elkington-Rose, and Shane Ince appeared at Maidstone Magistrate's Court all charged with affray.

James Robinson, 51, of North Dane in Chatham, was also charged with assaulting a police officer.

Prosecutor Paul Edwards said: "During a break in the proceedings Mr Elkington-Rose refused to go into the court to give evidence.

"James Robinson went to speak to him in a side room. During that talk they started to shout."

"At that point they all rushed into the room and the situation escalated with chairs being raised."

The prosecutor alleged Elkington-Rose and Tommy Robinson threw chairs and James Robinson grabbed hold of a police officer's shirt.

Tommy Robinson 22, of Connaught Road in Chatham, and Shane Ince, 33, of Wayfield Road - also in Chatham, decided not to enter a plea to their charges of affray.

James Robinson also did not enter a plea to his charge of affray but pleaded not guilty to assaulting a police officer.

Elkington-Rose, 24, of St Paul's Close in Strood, pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray.

All four are due to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday, June 7.

To read more of our in depth coverage of all of the major trials coming out of crown and magistrates' courts across the county, click here.

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