Man jailed after street brawl

A man was stabbed in the chest and back after two groups armed themselves with knives, baseball bats and milk bottles for a pre-arranged fight in South Staffordshire, a court heard.

During the brawl, at the Pavillion Community Centre in Perton, Kevin Hutton was stabbed by Kieran Martin as he lay motionless on the floor. Both men were today behind bars.

The victim suffered three stab wounds, two to the chest, narrowly missing his liver and heart, and one in the back.

He was also left with two fractures to the skull, Mr Richard Dewsbery, prosecuting, told Stafford crown court yesterday.

Martin, aged 21, formerly of Brunel Way, Ettingshall who admitted a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, was jailed for ten-and-a-half years.

Hutton, aged 35, of Hilton Street, Park Village, Wolverhampton, together with Aaron Cox, aged 18, of Long Lake Avenue, Wolverhampton, and Jordan Williams, aged 17, of Victoria Road, Bridgnorth, all admitted violent disorder.

Hutton was jailed for 27 months, Cox got 20 months in a young offenders' institution and Williams, who also admitted criminal damage, was handed two years detention.

Judge Mark Eades told all of them: "This wasn't spontaneous, this was a planned confrontation on a car park. Up to 15 people were present, six to eight were participants, weapons were brought to the scene. Three people at least sustained injury, one very severe."

The court heard the violence broke out on April 23 last year, starting with a telephone argument between Williams and another man.

It resulted in a challenge and an agreement to fight at the Pavilion.

Williams rounded up a gang including Cox and Martin, and headed out on foot, while the other man turned up at the venue in a Citroen with Hutton as "back up".