This is the shocking moment a yellow tipper truck crashed into a van while leading a gang of masked mob-handed men on a charge to terrorise a rival family over a land dispute.
In the phone footage clip, a male voice can be heard warning “there’s Prices is coming” and shouting “here they are” as the vehicle looms into view rear end first, followed by the sound of two bangs and the voice saying “f*** off James”.
The footage was taken on August 3, 2020, on Factory Lane in Widnes, when a dispute between two families who owned adjacent plots of land erupted into chaos and the sounds of gunfire.
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At Liverpool Crown Court this month, Reuben Price Sr, 49, of Regent Street, Newton-le-Willows, and his sons Reuben Price Jr, 27, of Southworth Road, Newton le Willows, and James Price, 24, of Baguley Avenue, Widnes, were sent down for violent disorder for their roles in being part of the intruding mob.
Prosecutor Andrew Ford described how a “terrified” delivery driver who arrived at the scene fled his wagon when confronted with the “surreal” view of the tipper truck reversing into a white van.
The yellow truck was followed by a group of about 20 men, many who were masked and mob-handed with what appeared to be spades, tools, pickaxe handles, coshes, machetes and guns according to the various witnesses who saw the mayhem break loose.
Passers-by described hearing between around four and six gunshots from the “larger aggressive crowd” arriving at the Pony Paddocks.
Ammunition casings and a van peppered with pellet damage were found at the scene after the fracas subsided, and a man who was in one of the rammed vehicles was injured by the impact.
The three Price men convicted of violent disorder pleaded guilty to the charge on the basis they weren’t in possession of any firearms.
They also claimed not to know anyone was bringing a gun but Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said it “defies belief” they didn’t know there were firearms present among the wider group of “mob-handed” men.
Mr Ford compared the gang to a “battalion”, and armed police were deployed as part of Cheshire Constabulary 's response.
The target of the Prices’ ire was the family of George Kent, who owned a plot of land next to Price land and wanted to develop it, with 160 tonnes of hardcore due to be delivered that day.
In the time leading up to the confrontation, Mr Kent had received a “hostile” phone call from Price Sr and his brother Luke Price telling him not to develop the land, and on August 31 a Mercedes car containing Price Sr and other men roadblocked a Kent family vehicle on a road on the outskirts of Ormskirk and emerged to tell the Kents not to build on the land.
At Liverpool Crown Court on March 4, Judge Trevor-Jones said Reuben Price Sr, Reuben Price Jr, and James Price, had been part of an armed “mob” and there had been clear planning ahead of the scenes of “wild, lawless mayhem” on August 3.
He sentenced Price Sr to three years in prison, and Reuben Price Jr and James Price each to two years and five months.
The time they serve will be reduced according to how long they spent on curfew prior to sentencing.
The judge ordered restraining orders to run for seven years to protect the Kent family, who had been left distressed by their ordeal.
Speaking after the hearing, Detective Sergeant Henderson Pierre, of Widnes Local Policing Unit 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.
“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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