How bad blood between two Warwick neighbours exploded into violence in the street - and ended up in court

Bad blood between two Warwick neighbours exploded into violence in the street after one of them had a window in his front door smashed with a baseball bat.

And at Warwick Crown Court Daniel Leech and Joshua Meades, both of Whitman Way, Warwick, at the time, pleaded guilty to a charge of affray.

Leech (32) who had previous convictions for violence and had originally denied the charge, was jailed for six months – consecutive to a sentence he is already serving.

But Meades (22) who had no previous convictions, was given a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity.

Prosecutor Rachel Pennington said there was ill-feeling between the two men, and late on July 20 Meades went to Leech’s home armed with a baseball bat.

He broke a window in the front door, and when Leech’s partner went to the door, she was struck.

Meades then left, but Leech, on hearing what had happened, armed himself with a hoe from the garden shed and went out to confront him.

The two men then began fighting in the street, and neighbours, alerted by the noise, saw Leech kneeling next to Meades on the ground and punching him several times.

The police were alerted, and the two men were still fighting when officers arrived.

When they were arrested Leech said Meades had been to his partner’s address and hit her with a baseball bat, and that he had been ‘defending my missus.’

For his part, Meades accepted he had smashed the window in the door with the baseball bat, which was recovered nearby.

Miss Pennington added that Meades had no previous convictions, but Leech had convictions for offences including violence, and at the time was subject to a suspended sentence which has since been activated.

Jonathan Veasey-Pugh, for Leech, said that Meades would say he had suffered a fractured jaw when he was struck by someone in a previous incident at which Leech was present.

“So there was bad blood between them before this night.”

Mr Veasey-Pugh said Leech had gone out for a cigarette, and words were exchanged with Meades’s girlfriend, and although Leech said he had been pleasant, it led to Meades then turning up with the baseball bat and damaging to the door.

“On the mother of his child opening the door, that lady was struck once in the sight of Mr Leech, and that caused a bleeding cut to her head.

“So Mr Leech, and I don’t seek to justify what happened after that, reacted. He did pick up a hoe at a stage when Mr Meades was at or by the front door.”

Mr Veasy-Pugh said Leech went out and was struck by Meades with the bat and, having dropped the hoe, began fighting with him, trying to get the bat from him.

Before being addressed by Nick Devine, for Meades, Judge Peter Cooke indicated that he would not be imposing a custodial sentence on him in view of his lack of previous convictions.

Sentencing the two men, he told them: “In your case Joshua Meades, I know there is a background, but you started this night’s events.

“You went off Mr Leech’s homer where you banged on the door and a window was broken and his partner had an injury, which caused him to become involved.

“Daniel Leech, you are a different kettle of fish. I accept there are a lot of positive sides to you, and that you have done a lot to address your demons with drugs.

“You were understandably agitated by Joshua Meades’ visit to your address, but you took with you a weapon and went looking for a fight.

“I accept that although you had a weapon, it doesn’t look as though it was used in the fight.

“But you are a man with a most unenviable record. It is not going to be long, but a custodial sentence it must be.”