Middlesbrough armed himself with a vacuum cleaner hose to fight

Darwin Dishad was caught by CCTV armed with a vacuum cleaner hose as a car full of men pulled up outside a house in Middlesbrough where Diar Islami Mohammed had posted a challenge to the other group on social media.

Teesside Crown Court heard others involved in the riot were armed with machetes and clubs, but the 27-year-old played only a minimal role in the confrontation.

Timothy Jacobs, prosecutor, said riots broke out in the early hours of July 1 last year after Mohammed gave in to the online threat.

Continue reading: Jury retires to consider verdict in teen terror suspects trial

He said a van full of rivals turned up at an address on Bishop Street in Middlesbrough and was greeted by the accused along with a group of other men.

Mr Jacobs said numerous weapons were involved in the confrontation, including machetes, knives and clubs, but the only person to sustain injuries was Mohammed himself.

Dishad, of Hatforth Avenue, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to charges related to his role in the armed confrontation.

The judge heard that four other defendants had already been convicted of their involvement in the riot: Mohammed, from Adderbury Grove in Hull, was sentenced to 11 months in prison; Hawdang Tofiq, from Mayfield Street, Hull, was sentenced to 10 months in prison; Omed Abdullah, of Bush Street, Middlesbrough, was sentenced to 11 months in prison; and Chernair Hussain of Lord Street, Redcar, was granted a 12 month community will with 150 hours of unpaid labour.

Tabitha Buck pleaded mitigating for the judge to hand down a similar sentence to Hussain’s over the 27-year-old father-of-one’s “naïve and stupid behaviour”.

She added: “He totally understands that when you join a group that deals with this behavior, you become part of that group.

“He never used violence against any other person.”

Continue reading:

If you want to read more stories why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for just £1.25 a week. Click here

Judge Howard Crowson sentenced Dishad to 12 months in prison with 30 days of rehabilitation.

He said: “They got to the event quite late, armed with the vacuum cleaner pipe, didn’t hit anyone with it and didn’t get close enough to hit anyone.”

“When someone asked for the hose, you handed it over and went back to the house.”