Half-brothers jailed after man's arm 'cut to bone' in brawl

Trouble flared when Lewis and Deon Bolding, aged 22 and 24 respectively, arrived at The Brunswick in Wednesbury where members of a family they had a feud with were also drinking.

Soon afterwards Lewis got involved in an argument with Philip Jones over an incident that had taken place months earlier, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

The two brothers left the pub and returned with their half brother Ainsley Seales who, with Lewis Bolding, was armed with a machete, claw hammer and incapacitating spray, revealed Mr Phillip Beardwell, prosecuting.

Seales, aged 34, discharged the spray at Mr Jones who was in the outside smoking area with his son Ross when the trio turned up, the court heard.

Mr Jones had a coat thrown over his head and was dragged to the ground by Seales where he was punched, kicked and hit twice over the head with a machete as Lewis wielded the hammer, continued Mr Beardwell.

The victim's son grabbed a pool cue and chased after the trio as they headed for their car before being attacked with the machete, now wielded by Lewis. The prosecutor explained: "Ross intervened to try to help his father. At first he used cans as missiles to frighten them off.

"He pursued them to their car where he was hit by Lewis with the machete. Ross saw it coming and tried to protect himself by putting up his arm which was cut through to the tricep muscle and bone."

Mr Jones, who was knocked out in the brawl, suffered fractures to his face and his nose as well as wounds to his head and needed hospital treatment with his son. The hammer was recovered from the scene but the machete and spray were never found.

Mr Colin McCarraher, defending the Bolding brothers - both from Vowles Road, Hateley Heath - revealed Deon suffered from post traumatic stress disorder after being savagely attacked in an unrelated incident and took no part in the violence, although was present throughout.

The lawyer continued: "Lewis got involved in an argument. The spark was immediate and the flare up that followed was hopelessly exaggerated. He bitterly regrets losing his temper."

Mr Harpreet Sandhu, for Seales of Chestnut Road, Wednesbury, said: "He got involved through misplaced loyalty, utter stupidity and lack of foresight as to what would flow from the incident."

All three defendants admitted violent disorder on December 25 2015 and Seales and Lewis Bolding, who both received 30 month prison sentences, further pleaded guilty to possession of offensive weapons. Deon Bolding received an 18 month sentence suspended for two years with a six month night time curfew.