Trio jailed following violent confrontation

Three troublemakers became involved in a violent and “frightening” confrontation in which each of them armed themselves with weapons, a court heard.

One of them grabbed a hospital-type crutch, another pulled out a hammer and a woman also rained down blows with the crutch and kicked out with her feet, the court was told.

Brian Blissitt, 37, of Beauchamp Walk, Scunthorpe, his girlfriend, Angela Lambert, 26, of the same address, and Kevin Armer, 43, of Frodingham Road, Scunthorpe, all admitted affray on April 1.

Mark Kendall, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that an argument erupted between the three in Frodingham Road. Armer grabbed a hospital-type crutch from a man in the street and moved towards Blissitt and Lambert.

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Blissitt pulled a hammer out of his jacket and he and Armer began hitting each other with the weapons.

They fell to the ground, with Blissitt on top of Armer. Armer dropped the crutch as he fell but Lambert picked it up and began using it to hit them and a man who intervened as a peacemaker.

Lambert also kicked Armer and was swinging the crutch, said Mr Kendall.

The violence later continued in Teale Street where Blissitt and Lambert were assaulted and ended up on the ground. Another man leaned over them, hitting them with a brick, said Mr Kendall.

Laurinda Bower, mitigating for Blissitt, said he and Lambert were verbally confronted by Armer. Blissitt, a heroin addict, should have walked away but made the mistake of reacting to Armer’s actions.

Richard Hackfath, representing Lambert, said she had been struggling against drug and alcohol addictions. She had suffered problems with her liver but continued drinking and was desperate to sort out her problems.

Pamela Coxon, representing Armer, said an issue arose involving Armer’s brother, 44, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and other problems, and he feared what might happen to him during the confrontation.

Someone across the road loaned him a crutch and he went over in a misguided “April Fool’s Day” attempt to protect his brother. The confrontation developed into a clash between “two Titans”, she said.

Recorder Julian Goose QC told the trio: “It was a frightening episode. All of you were armed with different weapons.

“The offence you have committed could only merit a custodial sentence.”

Blissitt and Lambert were each jailed for 15 months.

Their sentences included a consecutive three months after they admitted breaching a community order imposed on November 24 for another affray offence.

Armer, who admitted breaching a conditional discharge imposed on March 9 for being drunk and disorderly, was jailed for a year.