Brothers who were among the first to be slapped with Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO) have been jailed for attacking strangers with machetes “for sport”.
Maidstone Crown Court heard on the evening of March 4, 2021, Tyler Williams, 33, Shamen Williams, 30, and 24-year-old Brandon Williams engaged in 'violence for sport or fun.
Over the course of an hour they targeted people in the street with a machete and attacked them with no apparent motive.
A female victim was parked in her car near a shop in Gillingham, Kent, at about 9.40pm when she was assaulted by Shamen, suffering injuries to her face and head, and her vehicle damaged by Tyler.
He also brandished a machete at a man and chased him down the street.
Then, at around 10.55pm in Chatham, three men were attacked.
One needed treatment in a London hospital for multiple injuries to his face, shoulder and back by Shamen with a machete, while another was taken to a local hospital.
Although Tyler was unarmed on this occasion and did not inflict any of the wounds himself, he was said to have encouraged Shamen, urging 'Go on, do him'.
Tyler, 33, was sentenced on Tuesday to 13 years' imprisonment while Shamen, 30, whose Facebook profile describes him as a 'full time scumbag', was also ordered to be locked up for 13 years at a separate hearing on March 31.
Passing sentence on Tyler, who also has a previous conviction for assaulting a prison guard in 2020, Judge Lazarus said he needed to 're-evaluate his attitude'.
Ordering a copy of his sentencing remarks be given to Tyler, he added: "He has demonstrated scant regard for the court and individuals in authority. He has repeatedly not cooperated with the court and frequently refused to attend, including today.
"There has been non-cooperation with probation and refused to attend two appointments for the purpose of a pre-sentence report, and that leads me to believe there is a poor prospect of rehabilitation.
"No motive for the violence has been identified. Although the sport-like bragging came from Shamen, I am left to conclude that Tyler too was engaged in violence for fun or sport.
"When he gave evidence during the trial, what was plain to anyone observing Tyler is that he is considerably more intelligent than his two brothers and clearly able to demonstrate insight into his offending behaviour.
"But he seriously needs to re-evaluate his attitude. I know he has the intelligence and ability to change, and I would warn him he is moving perilously close to a life sentence if he commits further offences of violence."
Brandon was jailed for 18 months for his involvement in the two incidents at another hearing in December last year but due to time spent on remand has already been released.
The decision was also made to sentence the pair via prison video link rather than having them appear in person.
But neither was present to learn their actual fate as Tyler refused to leave his cell at HMP Swaleside on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, and Shamen walked out of the prison link room at nearby HMP Elmley partway through his hearing.
Tyler, of Tonbridge Road, Maidstone, was subsequently convicted of two offences of affray, possessing a bladed article, criminal damage, wounding with intent, and possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
Shamen, of Tupman Close, Rochester, Kent, was convicted of two offences of affray, two of possessing a bladed article, assault causing actual bodily harm, criminal damage, wounding with intent and attempted wounding with intent.
Brandon, formerly from Folkestone, Kent, but now believed to have moved out of the county, was convicted of two offences of affray.
Their previous offending has included attacking victims with their Pitbull crossbreed dogs as well as a clawhammer, but their latest crimes, committed while on licence from prison sentences handed down in 2018, were said by Judge Lazarus to reflect 'a step-up' in their antisocial conduct.
He warned the elder two brothers faced life sentences if they came before the courts for similar behaviour in the future.
But he also said mitigation could be found in their 'significantly dysfunctional upbringing and childhood'.
Their father, Wayne, who has reportedly defended them in the past, was himself in jail earlier this year for unconnected offences.
Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett introduced ASBOs in 1998 in an attempted crackdown on youth disorder.
They have since been replaced in England, Wales and Northern Ireland by civil injunctions and criminal behaviour orders.
