Gang of thugs ebroiled in 'free-for-all' which led to stabbing avoid jail

A gang of thugs who became embroiled in a 'free-for-all' street fight that saw a man being stabbed have avoided custody.

The five defendants were captured on CCTV scrapping and brawling on Lower York Street and Saville Street, in Wakefield, which resulted in one getting knifed in the shoulder as members of the public looked on in horror.

A man was jailed for the stabbing in 2019, but charges were eventually brought against the others defendants from the violent altercation, which took place on the afternoon of July 8, 2019.

Four of them appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week.

Saville Street in WakefieldSaville Street in Wakefield
Saville Street in Wakefield
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Daniel Price, age 27, of Redhill Drive, Castleford, admitted affray and possession of an offensive weapon.

Zac Edwin Johnson, age 26 of Parkfield View, Ossett, admitted affray.

Melissa Rothery, age 20, of Rutland Aevnue, Wakefield, admitted possession of an offensive weapon and a public order offence.

Natasha Catherine Mullen, age 29, of The Avenue, Alwoodley, Leeds, admitted a public order offence.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Prosecutor Philip Standfast told the court that trouble erupted between Price and the man who had been previously jailed for wounding him, Blazej Albin.

Read More
Police rescue dog which was trapped inside its owner's stolen Range Rover after ...

Albin had turned up on for the confrontation with a piece of piece of fence panel while Price had been armed with a kitchen knife.

After a struggle, Albin took the knife from Price before chasing him down using it to stab him in the shoulder.

Rothery and Mullen also began fighting each other "in the gutter", with Rothery also possessing a knife.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The violence last for around a minute and bystanders even recorded it on their phones, showing brief skirmishes between the groups.

CCTV footage was also shown to the court.

Albin, Mullen and the fifth defendant were on one side, with Price, Rothery and Johnson on the other.

Mitigating for Rothery, Stephen Swan said she had come onto the street after the violence started, but said her and Mullen had since spoken and apologised to each other. She has four convictions, including battery.

Mitigating for Mullen, Allan Armbrister told the court that she was sorry for getting involved and had since "put that life behind her". She has one previous conviction.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Austin Newman, representing Price said that he "done his best to turn his life around" despite being the most heavily convicted of all the defendants, with 34 previous convictions for 59 offences.

Little mitigation was put forward by Joseph Hudson on behalf of Johnson after the judge told him he would be spared an immediate jail sentence. Johnson has seven previous convictions for 10 offences, including weapons and battery.

Judge Robin Maris ordered them to stand and said: "It's fortunate for all of you that there has been a considerable delay since that day and this day of your sentencing.

"All of you have been able to keep yourselves out of trouble since then. Looking at your antecedent history, that is something of a feat.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It was a street fight. There were two teams, you Mullen and your boyfriend at the time (the fifth defendant who is yet to be sentenced).

"You Zac Johnson were a friend of Daniel Price and his girlfriend Melissa Rothery who formed the other team.

"For whatever reason, I'm not concerned what that was, there was conflict between the two of you and it spilled out onto the street, where numerous neighbours and members of the public had to witness a scene of general violence.

"Some of you decided to take knives, you Price and you Rothery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It was a blatant and fairly disgusting incident of fighting in the street, in broad daylight in front of members of the pubic.

"It was free-for-all violence that last just over a minute.

"If you hadn't kept yourselves out of trouble the sentences may well have been remarkably different."

Price was handed 18 months' jail, suspended for 24 months, and given 50 rehabilitation days.

Rothery was given 12 months' jail, suspended for 18 months, and 25 rehabilitation days.

Johnson was handed six months' jail, suspended for 18 months and given 150 hours of unpaid work.

Mullen received a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work.