Cricket bats and stumps, knives and pool cues used in Walsall street fight, court told

Several people were injured during the melee at the junction of Lewis Street and Croft Street in Birchills on June 10, 2020, during the first Covid lockdown.

Three men are standing trial for violent disorder at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

Kevin Gill, aged 23, and Adal Mohammed and Asam Hussain, both aged 24, are all accused of violent disorder relating to the incident which involved people hitting each other with weapons including cricket bats and poles.

Closing the prosecution case Ben Williams listed the weapons police officers had found either lying in the street or in homes on Lewis Street. They included four cricket bats, stumps, pool cues with blood on them, kitchen knives and a silver knife, no fingerprints were found on the weapons.

Taking the stand at the start of defence proceeding, Adal Mohammed said he had "been scared for his life" when he saw the fight on Lewis Street.

He said: "I had been at a birthday party when I heard lots of shouting and arguing in the street. I ran onto the street and saw the fighting.

"Someone was swinging a cricket bat. I was scared. I had not seen a fight before. I was in shock, I did not know what to do.

"I picked up a knuckleduster from the floor. I then put the knuckleduster in my pocket as I did not know what to do. I then ran back towards the house."

Defence counsel Queenie Djan showed Mohammed footage of the fight in court. In the footage men, women and children can be seen running towards and from the fighting as well as Mohammed running towards the fracas.

She said: "What do you take out of your pocket?"

Mohammed, who has no previous convictions, said: "I took the knuckleduster out of my pocket. I saw my friend's brother was bleeding from the head. I was scared. I was shouting "stop".

"I ran away as I was scared someone was running behind me. Then by the house I saw group of men approaching me, one man was taking someone out of his pocket, I was scared and I ran off."

Throughout police questioning Mohammed said "no comment" to all questions from detectives.

Whereas fellow defendant Kevin Gill said he had been there at the start of the fight and "it was nothing to be proud of".

The fighting was caught on camera and the footage went viral with people sharing the film across social media. A man was knocked the ground and woman left with blood pouring from her face. resulting in West Midlands Police launching an appeal to identify the suspects involved.

Gill, of Selborne Street, Chuckery, Walsall; Mohammed and Hussain, both of Lewis Street, deny the allegations of violent disorder.

The trial continues.