Three thugs responsible for a 'truly terrifying' barrage of violence left a family petrified. Alix Grant, Billy Roberts and Lewis Jones were confronted by neighbours after they went to Grant's ex-partner's home three times in one night.
The trio's violent spree began after they slammed a Land Rover into the ex's Audi as a 'prank'. They then shouted death threats at the woman.
A neighbour, carrying a baseball bat to protect himself, confronted Grant, Roberts and Jones. Jones attempted to reverse the Land Rover into the neighbour, before hitting him with a piece of wood.
READ MORE: University of Manchester students forcibly 'dragged' out of campus building
Grant and Jones, both 39, ran into the garden of the neighbour and his partner, before trying to break into their home. They said the house was 'marked' and told them: "You are dead."
Nearly two years later, during a chance encounter with the partner of the man who intervened, Jones 'persistently' intimidated her about the upcoming court case, telling her he would have '25 lads who will all be scattered round the court waiting for [her]' if she gave evidence.
Sentencing the three men - who all pleaded guilty to affray - Judge Bernadette Baxter said she 'rejected completely' the suggestion it was 'some sort of joke', dubbing the gang's actions 'truly terrifying'.
Violence soon spiralled after initial Land Rover attack
Minshull Street Crown Court had heard how the trio rammed a Land Rover, driven by Jones, into Grant's ex-partner's Audi as a 'prank' on September 17, 2020. They drove away before twice returning - at 2am and 3am - shouting death threats.
A neighbour confronted the trio with a baseball bat, smashing the window of the Land Rover, before Jones reversed the car, narrowly missing him.
Prosecuting, Chloe Fordham said Jones then repeatedly hit the man with a wooden stake, causing a 'deep laceration to his arm', before he and Grant ran into the neighbours' garden, where the woman tried to use her green bin to protect herself.
Jones put his hand on the woman's chest and told her: "F***ing move, get out of my way now, you better get out of my way."
Grant and Jones ran into the house, where the man fought with them on the stairs, telling them he had children sleeping upstairs.
The gang then got back the Land Rover and drove away. They were chased by police, who later found the Land Rover damaged after being crashed into a wall. The defendants were spotted nearby.
Jones was also charged with possession of an offensive weapon; dangerous driving; and well as witness intimidation. Ms Fordham said Jones approached female neighbour several times in an attempt to intimidate her into not going to court, before offering her £20,000 to 'drop the case'.
The woman, the court heard, bought fire extinguishers, fearing the men would return and set fire to her house.
Defending Jones, of Elm Grove, Hyde, Adam Watkins said his client's actions on were an 'utterly unacceptable response to having the car window smashed'. Judge Baxter said she would not attribute 'any blame' to the neighbour, and that 'those three thugs should not have been there in the first place'.
Mr Watkins said Jones' attempts to intimidate the woman in October 2022 were 'pathetic', but told the court he had been able to comply with the conditions of a suspended sentence he had been handed in 2018. Judge Baxter sentenced him to three years.
Defending Grant, Jennifer Devans-Tamakloe said he told her the actions were 'supposed to be a joke' and that he had a history of alcohol problems. Judge Baxter said she 'did not accept' the actions of the trio were a joke, and that there was 'little mitigation'.
She sentenced Grant, of Chapel Street, Dukinfield, to five years and nine months, as part of a consecutive sentence in relation to a dangerous driving case.
Banned from the road, Grant crashed his friend's car while speeding, leaving three people seriously hurt. He got behind the wheel looking for 'for something to do'.
He attempted to overtake another car, driving on the wrong side of the road. Travelling with 'excessive speed' around a bend, on Shepley Road in Audenshaw, Tameside, Grant crashed into two young men driving home.
The judge handed Roberts, 34, of Eldon Close, Audenshaw, a suspended sentence of 18 months, suspended for two years, following mitigation from Andrew Molloy that his client played a lesser role and had medical problems that would have affected his decision-making in the situation. He was also ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work.
Read next:
