A fracas in a Douglas flat ended up in a man being arrested by police after he refused to leave.

Caleb John James McBurnie and his brother Thomas were part of a larger group of friends visiting the flat on Palace Road on January 8, when a row broke out between the two.

Barry Swain, on behalf of the prosecution, said police were tipped off that ’something was kicking off’ at the flat and arriving at the address, a policewoman found the flat door ajar.

Calling out as she went inside, she heard a man’s voice say: ’Look, it’s the police now so get out.’

In the bedroom, she found a woman sitting on the bed along with three men, including the defendant and his brother.

’Two of the men were fighting. One was Dillon Cowie and the other was Caleb McBurnie,’ Mr Swain told the court.

’Cowie seemed to be restraining McBurnie and there were two other men present as well, one of them was Thomas McBurnie.’

Assuming Cowie to be the aggressor, the policewoman told him to release McBurnie, which he did, saying he had restrained him because he was ’kicking off and people were getting scared’.

A fight then broke out between the two brothers and a full-scale struggle ensued in which both McBurnie and the policewoman ended up falling on to a stereo. Police reinforcements arrived and Caleb McBurnie was arrested.

’It was a prolonged struggle,’ Mr Swain said.

Caleb McBurnie, of Hillside Avenue in Douglas, admitted using provoking behaviour.

Defending him, David Clegg said there had been no punching or kicking involved it was merely wrestling. He said McBurnie, who is 20, was working in a responsible job and had incurred no convictions since 2013.

Passing sentence, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said alcohol was at the root of what would have been a disturbing experience for the others. He was fined £400 with £125 costs.