Four locked up over huge brawl on Telford playing fields

It comes after two rivals agreed to resolve a dispute with a fist fight at Ketley Grange playing fields, in Ketley Bank, Telford, on June 29 last year.

The meeting escalated into violence and weapons including an axe and metal bars were used on Nathan Stevens and his uncle Stephen who was left with a facial fracture.

Seven men initially had been on trial facing charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and violent disorder, which they all denied. However, it was halted after four of the defendants admitted their roles in the incident.

Declan Taverner, 18, of Fifth Avenue in Ketley Bank, Telford; Andrew Prempeh, 21, of Burford in Brookside, Telford; Tyler Love, 21, of Burtondale in Brookside, Telford and Neon Manu, 19, of no fixed abode, all changed their pleas to guilty for violent disorder.

Love, Prempeh and Reece Garratt were yesterday also sentenced in relation to a separate fight which happened near Shrewsbury’s Fever nightclub in 2017. All three admitted violent disorder after CCTV showed them kicking two males.

Love was also sentenced for possession of crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply on March 19, 2018.

Worst

Mr Rajinder Gill, mitigating barrister for Love, 21, said: “The best mitigation are his guilty pleas and his age. He has the most offences to be sentenced for and the worst record of all the defendants.

“It is important to explain that he left school without any qualifications. Some time after that he had to move out of the family home to fend for himself. He fell into criminal ways, first stealing then drugs. He wishes to turn from a criminal life.”

Love was jailed for a total of six-and-a-half years, Prempeh was jailed for total of four years and three months, and Garratt was jailed 18 months solely for the Shrewsbury offence.

Taverner and Manu were both sentenced to three years detention at young offenders institution for their part in the Telford matter.

All five must serve half of their terms before being released on licence. They must also pay a victims’ surcharge.

In relation to the 2018 disorder Judge Anthony Lowe told them that such behaviour would not be tolerated.

"This was an appalling act of pre-planned violence which took place in broad daylight in June 2018 in a residential area. One witness describes seeing three Samurai swords, and what appeared to be some kind of axe together with a metal pole.

"Many people were involved. It is not clear how many, at least seven men," the judge said.