A man has been jailed after getting into a fight in a JD Sports store full of Christmas shoppers - alongside his machete-wielding pal.
Mark Rigg was in the queue to pay at the Manchester Fort branch, in Cheetham Hill, with his friend Rhys Jackson, when they were approached by another group of men. A fight broke out between the two groups and Jackson, then aged 18, of Aldbourne Close, Collyhurst, pulled out a machete from his trousers.
Rigg, then aged 19, of no fixed address, was seen on CCTV 'grappling and throwing punches', prosecution barrister James Preece told Manchester Crown Court. He was then escorted out of the shop by security.
READ MORE : Woman lured pal to house before her ex-boyfriend beat and robbed him at knifepoint
Mr Preece said that Rigg was arrested on Christmas Eve 2020, two days after the incident took place. Jackson was arrested in May 2021 and both men pleaded guilty to affray.
Defending Rigg, Thomas Worsfold described the incident as 'spontaneous and suddenly violent 'and said that Rigg had 'responded poorly'. He cited Rigg’s immaturity at the time as a mitigating feature of the case and added that he is 'very remorseful'.
Mr Worsfold told the court that Rigg is currently serving a prison sentence for a separate offence and while in custody he has started a construction course. He is also expecting a child and 'hopes to be a better role model' upon his release.
At a sentencing hearing today (Thursday November 10) Rigg, now 21, was jailed for 24 weeks. The judge, Recorder Carwyn Cox accepted that Rigg was 'not the aggressor' but added: “This a spontaneous response but it was a response that shouldn’t have carried on to an added level of violence.”
Jackson, now 20, was not present at court and will be sentenced at a later date.
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
