A man who used a machete to chase off a balaclava-clad gang in a broad daylight clash has been jailed for his role in the disturbing incident.

Peter Darbyshire picked up the two-foot-long blade before he was caught on CCTV chasing a man around a parked car outside a busy shopping parade.

The 31-year-old maintained that it was a member of the gang who brought the weapon to the confrontation, which took place near Dumbarton Avenue, Ragworth, Stockton, at about 2pm on June 22 this year.

Teesside Crown Court was shown the CCTV footage before Judge Howard Crowson jailed Darbyshire for ten-months for his role in the violent disturbance.

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“I cannot avoid imprisoning you I’m afraid,” he told the defendant.

“Just before 2pm police responded to a report that you were chasing a man around while carrying the machete. This was a blade which could have caused serious injury.

“Luckily, the risk didn’t arise as the person you chased did get away.”

The footage showed the defendant approach one of the men while brandishing the machete before chasing him away from the scene and innocent bystanders watched on.

Jonathan Gittins, prosecuting, said the incident had caused several people to seek refuge in the nearby shops but conceded that other witnesses merely stood near the car and watched the incident unfold.

He added: “He (Darbyshire) was seen to chase another male around a parked car – he was followed by the defendant with the machete.

“The machete was never recovered by police.”

Darbyshire, of Cheshire Road, Stockton, pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour with an offensive weapon.

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Nicci Horton, mitigating, said her machete-wielding client maintained that the weapon was brought to the shopping parade by members of a balaclava-clad gang and was convinced he was protecting other people at the time.

She added: “He picked up the machete thinking he was doing a good deed in scaring off this person.

“That’s why he thought it was justified behaviour but accepts that it was justified.

“He will not say who was involved due to the nature of the people who were in the balaclavas.”