Man waved knife in drunken brawl

A 33-YEAR-OLD who threatened a man with two kitchen knives during a drunken street brawl has been jailed.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Gary Betts had drank a quarter of a bottle of vodka before the incident in Linfield Road, Hanley.

And CCTV footage of the altercation – which involved Betts's former partner Nicola Clews and 43-year-old Simon Hunt – showed the row taking place in broad daylight while families walked through the residential area.

Betts, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to affray and possessing an offensive weapon.

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On Thursday, Hunt, of Easdale Place, Clayton, pleaded guilty to assaulting Betts during a hearing at the crown court.

The court heard yesterday that Betts had spent the afternoon drinking with Miss Clews and Hunt at the woman's flat in Linfield Road on May 15.

Paul Farrow, prosecuting, said the group had consumed a 'significant amount of alcohol' before the row.

Mr Farrow said: "At 4.30pm there was an argument in the property between Nicola Clews and Gary Betts as the defendant wanted Simon Hunt to leave.

"They began to fight and the defendant was punched by Hunt in the back of the heard."

The argument then spilled out on to the street where it was captured by a CCTV camera.

Footage of the video shown in court saw Miss Clews attempting to push Hunt away while Betts was on the floor.

The recording also showed a family with children walking on the opposite side of the road and a car being forced to stop as the confrontation continued.

The court was told the video hadn't been slowed down but the gradual movements of the individuals was down to their intoxication.

During the row, Betts had fetched two kitchen knives from the property measuring five and eight inches.

Paul Cliff, defending, said: "He recognises that members of the public would have been put in fear by his actions.

"He reacted to an initial assault upon him and went to fetch the knife in anger and waved it around.

"He has been in and out of jail since the 1990s and in his own words, 'I'm not getting any younger'.

"His grandmother passed away in June while he has been in custody and he couldn't go to her funeral. She's played a prominent part in his life and a positive part."

Mr Cliff said Betts had suffered from an addiction to heroin in the past.

The court was told the defendant had a record of 216 offences relating to common assaults and dishonesty.

Betts was yesterday sentenced to two years in prison. That term will have the 162 days he had already served deducted from it.

Judge Paul Glenn said: "You went back in the flat to get a second knife which showed your intention.

"We saw on CCTV a family working along the street and a car being brought to a halt.

"You were completely out of control."