Bradford Crown Court: Jail for two men over New Year's Eve samurai sword fracas in Elland

Kenneth Lockley, 26 and from Elland, and Matthew White, 23 and from Brighouse, were arrested and charged following the disorder on New Year’s Eve last year.

Prosecuter Virginia Hayton told Bradford Crown Court today (December 5) that the incident took place outside Lockley’s home on Huddersfield Road and prompted a call to the emergency services claiming that two cars full of men were trying to run people over.

Miss Hayton said CCTV footage showed a number of men outside the address and Lockley was seen to come out with a samurai sword in its sheath.

She said Lockley had the sword in his possession for a short period of time before he handed it to White, who unsheathed the weapon and moved off camera towards the rival group.

Miss Hayton submitted that White had been part of a group who had come to the address to support Lockley and his family against the rival group.

The court heard that during the incident, another man had discharged a shotgun towards a vehicle and Miss Hayton said it had clearly been an incident of “serious public disorder”.

Lockley pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in respect of the sword and he was sentenced to 21 months in jail.

But barrister Allan Armbrister highlighted the fact that his client had already spent 10 months and two weeks on remand.

White, of Sunnybank Grange in Brighouse, admitted the same offence relating to the sword and also a further allegation of affray.

He was jailed for 18 months but his barrister Bunty Batra said the defendant had also been remanded for nine months already.

Mr Batra stressed that his client, who was of previous good character, had nothing to do with the discharge of the firearm.

He said the sword had been handed to White and there was no evidence that he had used it.

“There is no evidence of him lunging at anybody with it or threatening anybody with it,” said Mr Batra.

In his pre-sentence report, White described himself as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Mr Armbrister said Lockley had not started the episode of violence that night and he had been frightened about what might happen to his family.

Recorder Patrick Palmer said the CCTV he had seen showed a rival group in cars driving around the vicinity of Lockley’s home in an aggressive manner.

The judge said the sword and baseball bats had been handed round and White took the sword out of its sheath.

Recorder Palmer said a man at the scene had discharged a sawn-off shotgun towards a vehicle driven by a rival group.

“This was undoubtedly very serious public disorder late at night in the streets of Elland involving two groups of males,” he added.

The judge imposed prison sentences on Lockley and White but said both of them may be released fairly shortly as they would only need to serve half of the jail terms.