Armed rivals in ‘pretty extreme’ South Shields street battle after beheading threats made

Former friends Darryl Hobbs and Christopher Ord fought each other with weapons in the middle of a busy street in South Shields, during a terrifying confrontation in February last year.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Hobbs had started the trouble earlier that day when he turned up at Ord's home, armed with a hammer and a baseball bat, while he was out.

Hobbs was caught on CCTV in a "state of rage" as he warned Ord's pregnant girlfriend "I will chop his head off", "I'm going to kill him" and "tell him he's dead".

Prosecutor Omar Ahmad said Ord returned home and followed Hobbs' car, which he attacked with his own weapon, which he said was a golf club.

Mr Ahmad said: "Hobbs got out of his vehicle with his weapons.

"A fight ensued between the two of them, in the middle of the street.

"There were members of the public onlooking.

"At one point Hobbs falls to the ground and Ord repeatedly strikes him with a weapon."

Mr Ahmad said Hobbs "came off slightly worse" in the fight, which lasted around one minute.

The court heard Hobbs drove off after the fight and was found parked up in his damaged vehicle, which had smashed windows.

He was bleeding and crying and appeared to be under the influence of something as he had slurred speech, glazed eyes and was struggling to answer any questions.

The court heard he had a laceration to the head, wounds to his legs and forearm and a lot of bruising.

Police checked CCTV in the area and were able to piece together what had happened.

Hobbs, 39, of Masefield Drive, South Shields, admitted making threats to kill, possessing weapons and affray.

He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with programme and rehabilitation requirements and a four month curfew.

Ord, 31, of Dickens Avenue, South Shields, admitted affray and as sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, with programme and rehabilitation requirements.

Judge Robert Adams told the men: "I hope you are both thoroughly ashamed of yourselves and from the reports I have read it appears you both are.

"This was in a public place and watched, as can clearly be seen from the footage, by a significant number of bystanders as you sought to beat each other with weapons.

"It was an appalling act of violence in a public place."

The judge said the fight was "short lived but pretty extreme".

Judge Adams added that the pair have expressed remorse and shame over what happened, have caused no trouble since and are both capable of rehabilitation.

Christopher Knox, defending Hobbs, said: "What he did was dreadful, that is in his own words.

"There has been no further trouble."

Fiona Lamb, defending Ord, said he is a devoted dad and added: "He regrets acting in the way he acted, he should not have done it.

"He knows he can't take matters into his own hands."