(Image: Cleveland Police)
A bare-chested thug who was involved in a gang brawl will spend the next 15 months behind bars.
Kyle Wilson was seen carrying a lock knife and a screwdriver and was also found in possession of corrosive liquid when arrested after the incident in Laura Street, Middlesbrough, at 7.40pm on Sunday, July 12.
Durham Crown Court was told Wilson was "often the aggressor" as the groups, including several young women, surged back and forth, hurling missiles at each other.
The participants only dispersed when police arrived after more than six minutes of the confrontation.
Wilson, 22, of Laura Street, admitted affray and possessing a knife, an offensive weapon, a screwdriver and a corrosive substance.
Kyle Wilson received a 15-month prison sentence for possession of knife, screw driver and corrosive substance during street disturbance in Middlesbrough, in July
But the court heard that the incident followed a disturbance involving Wilson and a group of men in Borough Road, Middlesbrough, earlier the same day.
Prosecutor Elisha Marsay said Wilson claimed he had disarmed a member of the rival group of a container of corrosive liquid during that incident and still had it when arrested later.
The court heard that Wilson has a “relevant conviction” for carrying a knife in public in 2018, along with nine convictions for threatening words and behaviour.
Nicci Horton, for Wilson, said he has a recognised learning disability that affects his judgement and can draw him into such incidents.
“I concede his record is troubling and his decision-making on this occasion was terrible.
“He knows he made some wrong decisions.”
She said Wilson was “somewhat aggravated”, however, that he was the only person arrested over the incident.
Miss Horton said since his arrest Wilson has had his first experience of prison while on remand and conceded, “he was not built for custody.”
Judge Aisha Wadoodi said the Probation Service consider Wilson poses a high risk of reoffending and, “a very high risk” of committing a very serious offence.
The court heard that Wilson had recently been given a two-year anti-social behaviour injunction banning him from entering Laura Street.
The judge said it was only good luck that no-one suffered serious injuries during the more than six-minute clash, given the weapons involved.
“But you had plenty of chance to withdraw from the situation.
“It’s apparent you didn’t need to involve yourself as you did and you must have known that.”
The judge jailed Wilson for 15 months and ordered weapons recovered by police to be forfeited and destroyed.
She told Wilson: “When you are released from this sentence, please make sure you don’t get into further trouble.”