A ‘SPECTACULAR’ cruise through the Norwegian fjords descended into chaos when a violent brawl erupted on board during a late night buffet, a court heard.

The fight on board P&O’s Royal Britannia ship was allegedly sparked when a family asked an ‘intoxicated’ guest to stop swearing as they dined in the Horizon buffet.

Tempers flared and statistician Justin Gardner, his nurse wife Sarah and daughter Alice were all assaulted as 45 year old Paul Evans launched a ‘violent and chaotic’ attack, a jury heard.

After 21 year old Alice Gardner asked Evans to stop swearing the court heard a brawl quickly ensued, instigated by his former girlfriend and boxing YouTuber, Tabatha Young.

Mrs Gardner tried to film Evans on a phone for ‘evidence’ as he held one hand around her daughter’s neck and punched her ‘continuously’ with the other, the jury was told.

But he then turned his ‘rage’ on Mrs Gardner by ‘rugby tackling’ her to the ground, snatching the mobile phone and hurling it out to sea, the court heard.

Evans is accused of one count of robbery and three counts of actual bodily harm following the extraordinary scenes on the 16th floor of the cruise ship during the early hours of July 26 2019.

Prosecutor Mark Ashley told the court: “Mr Evans was intoxicated and when he was near their table, he was using language which a number of people found offensive.”

Mrs Gardner, a mother of three whose son had already gone to bed, said: “I felt very anxious. We carried on ignoring him and then my eldest daughter said ‘please can you stop talking like that’.

“Then [Tabatha Young] flew up from another table and started attacking my daughter Alice by pushing her.

“I tried to separate Tabatha and Alice. I was trying to calm the situation down but Tabatha punched her and attacked Alice.

“Then Mr Evans flew up from his seat and punched my husband who had been standing at the table with my other daughter who was very upset.”

The court heard Mr Gardner was struck on the side of the head before falling to the floor.

His nose was bleeding, his glasses were smashed and he was rendered ‘unconscious’, his wife told the court.

Mrs Gardner then described Evans turning on Alice as she saw him move on top of her with one hand around her neck and using the other to ‘punch her repeatedly’.

After spotting he was being filmed, the court heard Evans turned on Mrs Gardner and she was ‘rugby tackled’ to the ground.

Evans was captured on CCTV throwing the mobile into the sea, Mr Ashley told the court.

The court heard Evans returned to the dining room and the brawl continued before both him and his partner were eventually restrained by security.

Young, who interviews boxers on YouTube, pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm last year.

Evans denies one charge of robbery and three charges of causing actual bodily harm.

Its Norwegian Fjords Cruise Holidays are described by P&O as: “One of the most spectacular regions of the world, many argue that the only way to truly appreciate the scenery of the Norwegian Fjords is to sail through them.”

The trial continues.