An agitated man mourning the death of a close friend was involved in two violent incidents in little more than an hour affecting innocent members of the public.

Durham Crown Court was told that police were alerted by a cctv operator to what appeared to be a fight between two men in Silverdale Place, Newton Aycliffe, in which a knife was present, on Wednesday, August 7.

When officers arrived, onlookers pointed them in the direction of both combatants, who ran off, and a meat cleaver was recovered at the scene.

One of the pair was detained following a short foot chase, but he told the officers he was merely trying to defend himself.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

He told the officers the assailant was Jamie Byron Taylor who he said had followed him to a shop carrying a meat cleaver, threatening to “chop him up”.

Cole Cockburn, prosecuting, said police looked at cctv from a shop camera at 7.24pm that evening in which Taylor, with the meat cleaver, was chasing the other man, who sought refuge in the premises.

Taylor stood outside goading him with the meat cleaver.

He then went into the premises, having left the weapon outside, and a fist fight took place.

Mr Cockburn said on wider examination of the footage another crime involving Taylor was observed at 6.21pm that evening.

Taylor was seen coming into frame and a scuffle took place between him and several women, one of whom was assaulted or shoved by him.

It took place in the presence of several onlookers, including children, one of whom intervened and tried to strike him on the back in support of the shoved woman.

Mr Cockburn said when Taylor was later arrested he had to be tasered to ensure he complied with the officers.

The 24-year-old defendant, of Gilpin Road, Newton Aycliffe, admitted charges of assault by beating and possessing a bladed article at his first court appearance on August 16.

His case was committed to be sentenced at the crown court.

The sentencing hearing was told the defendant has 14 convictions for 28 offences, seven of them for violence and five for public order.

(Image: Durham Constabulary)

Mr Cockburn said less than a fortnight before the latest offences Taylor received a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for a year, for a charge of harassment with fear of violence.

He also served a 48-week sentence, imposed in May 2022, for affray, battery and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Calum McNicholas, in mitigation, said Taylor did not seek to prevaricate, accepting responsibility for his actions in both incidents on the evening of August 7.

Mr McNicholas conceded Taylor’s record was “blemished” with offences of violence, but none previously involving weapons.

“The context is that he attended the funeral of his best friend who passed away following a motor-cycle incident.

“In that state of grief, he behaved in the way depicted on screen.

“That’s not by way of excuse, it’s context.”

Mr McNicholas said the defendant has been seeking to find work while in prison for which he has completed his health and safety training.

“He wants to get a job and train, so if released he can use the time and training proactively.”

(Image: The Northern Echo)

Judge Nathan Adams told Taylor that at the age of only 24 he has, again, come before the court for acts of violence, which he said, although not charged as such, could only be described as, “a course of affray”, on the evening of August 7.

He said it was only weeks after Taylor received a chance, by way of a suspended prison sentence.

“I’ve seen the footage of what happened in Newton Aycliffe on August 7, when you were outside a local shop, highly agitated, punching the air, and to all intents and purposes looking for a fight, with lots of young people around.

“You were clearly being asked to calm down by members of the public.

“You were shoved by one of the young ladies asking you to calm down, and you came back and shoved her.

“If that was the end of it you might not have ended in custody.”

But Judge Adams said he then went looking for further trouble with a man who was clearly trying to defend himself, trying to run away, while Taylor was carrying a meat cleaver.

He said Taylor tossed away the meat cleaver and went into the shop seeking to fight the other man, with members of the public again trying to restrain him.

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"There was no explanation for the violence.

“Grief does not allow you to behave as you did, it’s no excuse.”

Activating three months from the recently imposed suspended sentence, Judge Adams imposed a total 19-month prison sentence and ordered forfeiture and destruction of the meat cleaver.