A dispute between two families over a plot of land resulted in “wild, lawless mayhem” when shots were fired.
A father and his two sons were jailed on Friday for their parts in a major disturbance on Factory Lane in Widnes on August 3, 2020.
Rueben Price Snr, 49, of Regent Street, Newton le Willows, was jailed for three years; Rueben Price Jnr, 27, of Southworth Road, Newton le Willows was sentenced to two years and five months, and James Price, 24, of Bagueley Avenue was also jailed for two years and five months.
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On Friday ( March 4) Liverpool Crown Court heard how 20 masked or hooded men armed with shovels ran amok during a major confrontation.
Shots were also fired and a large tipper truck rammed a van injuring Mark Ashworth who was in the vehicle.
The incident on August 3 2020 was the result of a long running dispute between the Price and Kent family over a plot of land off Factory Lane in Widnes.
On Friday Andrew Ford, prosecuting, told the court how the feud had begun over adjacent plots of land, with the Price family owning one side and the other owned by George Kent and family.
Mr Kent was planning to develop his plot and work was due to start that day with contractors arriving to deliver 160 tons of hardcore.
The plans had caused “friction”, and in the weeks leading up to trouble erupting, an increasing number of vehicles and caravans had turned up on the Price side.
The court heard of an incident on July 31 2020 when members of the Kent family had been roadblocked on the outskirts of Ormskirk by a Mercedes containing Price Snr.
Other men then emerged in vests and told the Kents “you’re not allowed the land” and “you can’t do nothing with it”, before leaving the scene.
On the morning of August 3 police arrived at the site on Factory Lane after they received information that there might be trouble.
Price Sr told them “I own the land, if something was going on I would know about it”.
When officers said they’d heard trouble was “looming” and asked about the number of men present, Price Sr said they were there to help with holding horses while their hooves were trimmed, with the land being home to miniature ponies.
Police then left the scene.
At around 12.35pm wagon driver Edward Freeman arrived at the site to deliver fencing when he was confronted by a large tipper truck roaring toward him.
Mr Freeman ran from the scene fearing for his life.
Mr Ford said: “There was a yellow tipper truck being driven backwards at speed from the Price land to the Kent land.”
Following behind the truck were about 20 masked or hooded men armed with “tools, spades, coshes and the like - there were guns amongst them”.
Mr Freeman heard “shouting, screaming and what he thought were fireworks” - but which were firearms being discharged from among the “large aggressive crowd” and “contained the defendants”.
The gang was described as being like a “battalion”, with witnesses described seeing “machetes” and “pickaxe handles” among the brandished weapons.
Mr Price and his two sons were later arrested during the probe and didn’t answer any questions.
Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said the group were part of an armed “mob" but had not possessed or discharged firearms during the incident.
Sending them down, Judge Trevor-Jones said: “There was quite clearly significant planning.
“As far as this was concerned, this was no spontaneous eruption of violence.
“The scenes were of wild, lawless mayhem, witnessed by several independent people and they described a terrifying spectacle.”
Mr Price and his sons had all pleaded guilty to to violent disorder in relation to the incident on Factory Lane.
Following their sentencing, Detective Sergeant Henderson Pierre, of Widnes Local Policing Unit, part of Cheshire Police, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the local community for all the help and support that they have provided throughout this investigation, without their assistance today’s result would not have been possible.
“It is clear that the Price family believed that they were above the law, they decided to take matters into their own hands and went round mob-handed to their neighbours with the intent of causing fear and harm.
“It was only pure luck that nobody was killed or seriously injured.
“Through what has been an extremely complex investigation, the team of detectives here at Widnes have been able to gather a catalogue of evidence against the Price family, and the trio were left with no option but to plead guilty to the charges against them.
“I hope that the conclusion of this case and the sentences handed to the Price family will provide reassurance to both the victims and the local community.”
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