THUGS who brought axes and knives to a junior boxing tournament in Ryton and started a mass brawl likened to a ‘warzone’ have been jailed.
At Warwick Crown Court, 23 men – most from the London and Buckinghamshire area – were sentenced for a total of more than 48 years for violent disorder, with some also charged with assault leading to grievous bodily harm and an array of weapons offences.
This follows a four year investigation into the incident, which took place in February 2020 at a sports centre at Ryton during a national amateur junior boxing championship.
A group of nearly 60 men arrived at the centre in a convoy of 13 vehicles.
Inside the venue, they targeted a small group of men, initiating a 20-minute mass brawl.
Chairs were thrown and people attacked, after which several of the men got weapons from their vehicles, including axes, knives, pickaxe handles and spades.
Some then started to attack vehicles in the car park, before the group headed back into the venue to attack the small group of men who became cornered in the bar area.
One victim was forced to the ground where he was kicked, punched, and slashed with a blade, leaving him needing stitches on his face.
The venue was extensively damaged and the boxing event effectively cancelled.
There were around 300 members of the public present at the time – mostly youngsters participating in the event and their families.
Police launched a large-scale investigation to trace those responsible.
CCTV and mobile phone footage led to over 30 suspects being identified.
Following a lengthy arrest and interview phase in late 2020 and early 2021, in the midst of national Covid lockdowns, 23 suspects – from London, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire and Kent – were convicted in 2023 and sentenced last month.
At the conclusion of sentencing, His Honour Judge Potter commended the police investigation and the efforts of the officers who investigated the case.
Speaking after the sentencing, Det Cons Middleton said: “This was a brazen, outrageous incident that saw people injured and would have caused huge distress to hundreds of members of the public who had simply attended a venue to enjoy a sporting event.
“Why any member of this group thought they would get away with turning a public venue into a warzone is beyond both me and the rest of the team who took part in this investigation.
“This has been a huge undertaking and I welcome the sentences handed out. All those involved in this ridiculous, dangerous behaviour now have plenty of time – whether it be through doing unpaid work or sitting in a prison cell – to reflect on their actions.
“The message is clear – there is no safety in numbers for people involved in violent disorder. Behave like this in our communities, and we’ll be catching up with you.”
Visit https://tinyurl.com/2s3k5fau to watch video footage of the brawl. Visit https://tinyurl.com/mrxwkpvx for full details of the convictions.
