A GANG armed with baseball bats and metal poles tried to smash their way into a woman's flat after her boyfriend allegedly attacked another woman with an axe, Hull Crown Court heard.
Jamie Southwick "terrified" Natalie Friett when he and girlfriend Kayleigh Robinson smashed up the windows of the chip shop below her flat in Holderness Road, east Hull, after a row broke out with her boyfriend Robert Cuthbertson.
Miss Friett, who has a heart condition, made frantic calls to 999 as Southwick shouted up to her boyfriend that he was "going to kill him". He was joined by Robinson, Lee Tomkins and Niki Martin.
Once they were inside the takeaway, Southwick started bashing his way through the outer glass door to Miss Friett's flat.
Prosecuting, Dale Brook told the court how Mr Cuthbertson had been out drinking with Tomkins, Southwick, Robinson and Martin when he returned to Miss Friett's flat at 10pm "in a panic" and saying it was "all kicking off".
Mr Brook said: "Not long after, she heard a glass smashing so she called the police and looked out of the window and saw Lee Tomkins and another male.
"She said Tomkins was holding a metal pole and using it to smash the window of the chip shop below.
"She could hear voices and people screaming and threats being shouted to her partner. She also saw Jamie Southwick carrying a black baseball bat with two females behind him.
"He was using his weapon to smash the window of the chip shop and she saw Kayleigh Robinson throwing an implement through her first-floor window, missing her by a matter of inches.
"Then she heard a very loud bang and realised her flat outer door had been put through. She saw Southwick putting it through. By this stage she was incredibly frightened."
Seconds later the police arrived at the flat and arrested Southwick, of 12th Avenue, north Hull, and Robinson, who told officers a row had broken out with Mr Cuthbertson at another address.
She claimed he had left but returned wearing a gas mask and holding an axe. She told the officers that, during a confrontation with Mr Cuthbertson, she had suffered a cut to her cheek.
Mr Cuthbertson has admitted causing injury to Robinson, but has yet to be sentenced.
Tomkins, of Brazil Street, east Hull, was arrested at Hull Royal Infirmary, where he was treated for severe cuts to his hands.
Mr Brook said: "Miss Friett suffers with a heart condition and found the whole episode terrifying. Whatever her partner had done, she had not been involved in anyway."
The attack also cost David Bell, the owner of the chip shop, more than £1,500.
In mitigation for Southwick, who admitted affray and criminal damage, Fiona Tannock said: "This is an incident with some degree of background to it. Mr Cutherbertson has accepted causing injury to the young lady who is my defendant's partner.
"This defendant is hardworking, he has held down a job for some time, he and his partner are expecting a child later this year."
Tomkins, 30, admitted affray.
Representing him, Paul Norton said: "He left before at least some of the worse aspects of the incident occurred. There was also a degree of provocation."
Sentencing both Southwick and Tomkins to six months in prison, suspended for 12 months, Judge Simon Jack said: "This must have been terrifying, particularly for the lady who had nothing to do with the incident that happened previously.
"I accept there was a degree of provocation and the man you believed was inside the flat had acted badly a short time previously, but that is no excuse for what happened and no excuse for damaging property belonging to someone who had nothing to do with the incident."
Southwick, 27, was also ordered to carry out 110 hours' unpaid work, while Tomkins must complete an alcohol treatment activity.
Robinson and Martin were also charged with affray but were given conditional discharges at an earlier hearing.
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