See a South Tyneside gang attack their rivals' cars as three men are jailed for the affray

An imitation firearm, machete and pool cue were also wielded by members of the first gang as they left a house in Arran Drive, Jarrow, to confront the occupants of the vehicles after receiving a tip off that they were en route.

Alarmed residents alerted police and seven men were arrested after firearms officers rushed to the scene when trouble erupted at around 1.45pm on June 6.

Three have now been jailed at Newcastle Crown Court after they admitted affray with four more set to learn their fates in January.

Conor Williams, 25, of Arran Drive, was imprisoned for 20 months after he also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a machete and to unlawfully possessing a taser in a separate incident.

Dean Ratcliffe, 25, of Leslie Avenue, Hebburn, was jailed for 19 months after he additionally admitted possessing an imitation firearm and assault.

Kieran Lincoln, 26, of Olive Street, South Shields, was locked up for 14 months.

Alec Burns, prosecuting, told the court that the defendants were identified from CCTV footage after armed police arrived following a number of 999 calls from the public.

He said: “One of the men has a pool cue or stick. They have rocks and bottles which they throw at the vehicles.

"When the police go to an address and arrest everyone, there are a good few more weapons in addition to those used in the incident.”

The court was told there was no suggestion that any of the weapons were used to attack anyone.

Chris Knox, mitigating for Williams, who has 11 convictions for 20 previous offences, said: “There is no injury to anyone although members of the public may have been alarmed.

"They were not harmed and I would say they were at more risk from the other group driving into cars in the street.”

Nick Lane, mitigating for Ratcliffe, who punched one of the car occupants and who has 17 convictions for 30 previous offences, said there was no evidence that the BB gun carried by Ratcliffe was fired.

He added: “It was a minor dispute which escalated this day. He became aware of the other group’s intentions. Mr Ratcliffe arms himself with his imitation firearm. It is an item legally obtained and legally available both in shops and online.”

The court was also told that Lincoln, who had 18 convictions for 33 previous offences, only picked up a pool cue after spotting one of the other gang’s vehicles hitting his car.

Judge Edward Bindloss, passing sentence, accepted that the defendants were under “scrutiny and threat” from the “other group of unknown protagonists”.

But he added: “No-one should take the law into their hands. You should not have armed yourselves.”

Further details about the case are expected to be revealed when four other men are sentenced by the same court in January after admitting affray at an earlier hearing.

They are Daniel Purvis, who is 30 on November 24, of Bishop Crescent, Jarrow, William Tisseman, 23, of Vespasian Avenue, South Shields, Cory Patterson, 25, of Emlyn Road, South Shields, and Shaun McCord, 34, of Abbey Drive, Jarrow.

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