Louts in store rampage as families shop
A GANG of yobs caused thousands of pounds of damage during a rampage at a JD Sports store.
The three young thugs brandished batons and used mannequins and shop furniture to attack a group of men in front of customers, including small children.
Cain Gordon, 20, Levi Murray, 19, and Jake Firth, 18, carried out the attack at the store on Manchester Fort Retail Park in Cheetham Hill at 5pm on April 17, causing £4,100 of damage.
Prosecuting, Mr David Lees played CCTV from the store.
The footage showed Murray, of Cheshil Court, Marlbrough Road, Salford, swinging a baton directly towards a male in the store, before turning his attention to another man who defended himself by upending a rack of clothes over him. The video showed Firth, of Weatherall Street North, Salford, then appearing to throw a bottle of water on another two males, before one of the victims picked up a long furniture pole which he brandished at Murray.
Gordon, of Claythorpe Walk, Manchester, was then seen to throw the furniture rack and pick up and throw a mannequin, with
Firth pulling the arm off a mannequin to use as a club.
Firth swung it at one of the other group, who had armed himself in a similar manner. Murray is then seen brandishing the retractable baton while fully extended.
Mr Lees said during the attack, a number of children can be seen and several customers had to take refuge at the rear of the store.
In a written statement, the floor manger at JD Sports said: “At one point, a father is holding an approximate one year old daughter in his hands, as one of the victims brushes past him, attempting to move away from the attack.
“As much as I’ve seen fights in the past, this incident has left me shook up. It makes me worry about my staff and customers as its not something they should be seeing.”
Defending, Alexandra Sutton said Murray ‘is still young at 19 and has time to build for himself a positive and stable life still.’
Murray was sentenced to 20 months custody for affray, 12 months for criminal damage and 12 months for having an offensive weapon to be served concurrently.
He was ordered to stay away from Firth and Manchester Fort for 36 months.
The court heard how Firth received a two year DTO in 2019 for two attempted robberies, a robbery and threatening a person with a blade. Since then he has twice been prosecuted for breaching his DTO.
Judge Goddard QC said a presentence report had shown Firth, who pleaded guilty to affray, demonstrated genuine remorse and a desire to change. He was handed a 26-month community order and 30 hours Rehabilitation activity requirements , 180 hours of unpaid work and a criminal behaviour order of two years.
Gordon, who pleaded guilty to criminal damage to property valued under £5,000, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and affray but not guilty to violent disorder, was not present in court to be sentenced.