Teen threatened men with machete in daylight Norwich attack

Kyron Crowe, 18, had been the "best friend" of Joe Dix who was stabbed to death in Vale Green, Mile Cross, following a confrontation with teenagers understood to be connected to the OTM gang.

Joe Dix (Image: Submitted from family of Joe Dix)

Norwich Crown Court heard Crowe was cycling down King Street, Norwich, when he encountered young men he believed to be associated with the gang who he swung "the most fearsome looking machete at".

King Street, Norwich (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Chris Youell, prosecuting, said CCTV of the incident, which happened during the day on May 7 this year, showed Crowe, who was a friend of Mr Dix, "jumping off a bike and brandishing a large machete, waving it at other young men.

Kyron Crowe with a machete in King Street, Norwich (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

He said it was "pure luck he didn't cut one of their hands off or cause serious injury because the blade was extremely close to them".

Mr Youell said a co-defendant, Harvey Sutton, 20, also got off his bike and joined Crowe during the incident when one of the victims used a helmet “to try and defend himself”.

Kyron Crowe with a machete in King Street, Norwich (Image: Norfolk Constabulary)

He said it was an "extremely serious" incident reminiscent of other incidents involving young men aged 18,19,20 involved in gangs, wearing tracksuits, which "quite often can result in death".

Kyron Crowe with a machete in King Street, Norwich (Image: Norfolk Consabulary)

Crowe, of Rectory Road, Coltishall, appeared at court on Wednesday (August 16) to be sentenced having admitted affray, breach of a criminal behaviour order and possession of a knife.

Kyron Crowe (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)

Sutton, of Clover Court, Norwich, also appeared for sentence having admitted affray.

Judge Andrew Shaw said when Crowe encountered "three members of a rival gang who you believed to be responsible for Joe's death" he jumped off his bike and produced a knife which he "started swinging" at them.

Judge Andrew Shaw (Image: Newsquest)

He said it was the "most fearsome looking machete" had been and "such a weapon is only designed to maim or kill".

He said Sutton "went to the assistance" of Crowe in the incident, which happened in broad daylight, and "terrified" members of the public "who believed they would be caught up in it and severely hurt".

Imposing two years detention in a Youth Offenders Institute (YOI) on Crowe and six months for Sutton Judge Shaw said the reality for the two defendants at the moment seemed to be a case of "kill or be killed" which he said was "depressing" and "sad".

He said: "You have clearly chosen gang membership over membership of a law abiding society.

"If the two of you carry on in the way you have this will only end with one of you being killed or being convicted of murdering someone."

Before the hearing finished, Judge Shaw told Crowe: "Put this life behind you, put this gang membership behind you - find a different way to mourn Joe."

Oliver Haswell, mitigating for Crowe, said the defendant was "not impressed" by his behaviour and accepted it was "foolish".

He said Crowe has had an "awful" start to life, had been a "target" and said it had been a "chance encounter" having taken the weapon to defend himself should he need it.

Danielle O'Donovan, mitigating for Sutton, said he had not been aware Crowe had the blade.

He accepted that after becoming aware Crowe had become involved in a fracas he "got off his bike and throws a single punch".

* Three teenagers, Hans Beeharry, Benjamin Gil and Cameron Palmer, all 19, are currently on trial at the city's crown court having been accused of the murder of Mr Dix on January 28 last year.

Beeharry, of Bracondale, Norwich, Gil, of Lefroy Road, Norwich and Palmer, of Theobald Road, Norwich, all deny murder.

Yaman Uslu, 19, of Horner Close, Norwich, has pleaded not guilty to a separate offence of assisting an offender.