Families' 50-year-feud led to street violence involving weapons, court is told

A feud between two families sparked a violent street battle that involved cars being rammed and weapons being brandished, a court heard.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Tommy Reynolds and Beau Lee Proctor are members of families from the Outwood and Wrenthorpe area that have a rivalry dating back 50 years that invovled their grandparents, prosecutor Joanne Shepherd told Leeds Crown Court this week.

When the pair crossed each others' path outside a sandwich shop in April 2019, it descended into a fight which left Proctor injured.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ms Shepherd said Proctor then got in a BMW and went looking for Reynolds, mounting kerbs and driving on the wrong side of the road along Ledger Lane in Outwood.

Leeds Crown Court.Leeds Crown Court.
Leeds Crown Court.

Proctor, who was in the car with his father, had been seen by witnesses grabbing a mallet before getting into the BMW.

After failing to find Reynolds, they went to his home on Leeds Road in Lofthouse where they damaged the metal gates to his property.

In retaliation, Reynolds and his son then took two separate cars to go looking for Proctor, with Reynolds behind the wheel of a VW Golf and his son driving a Ford Fiesta.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They eventually found Proctor and his father in a Renault Modus, and blocked them in before Reynolds got out and threw a metal pole at their car.

The Modus was able to get free, but was followed at speed and was blocked in again with the Golf striking the Renault. Weapons were then used to smash the windows.

Ms Shepherd said witnesses were left terrified at the level of violence used.

A probation report into 30-year-old Proctor claimed he had not been the instigator, and the initial erratic driving in the BMW was because of the facial injury he sustained during the fight outside the sandwich shop.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He also claimed he had been going to the hospital when he was rammed by the two cars driven by Reynolds and his son.

Proctor, of Highlands Walk, Leeds, admitted a charge of dangerous driving.

Mitigating for Proctor, Michael Walsh said: "It's time they moved on and grew up before something more serious happens.

"He is responsible for his part in what he did. Had he just driven away he would not be here."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Reynolds, who is 50, and now lives on Cheapside in Wakefield, admitted careless driving, possession of an offensive weapon and affray.

Mitigating for Reynolds, Stephen Smithson said that his client has been out on licence having been jailed last year for a unrelated matter and was keen to move on.

He said: "He wants to continue getting back to somewhere where he was prior to this incident occurring."

Judge Mushtaq Khokhar gave Proctor eight months' jail, suspended for 18 months, 100 hours of unpaid work and banned him from driving for 12 months.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He was already on a 34-month driving ban from earlier this year, with the judge saying his latest ban will be served consecutively.

Reynolds was given 18 months' jail, suspended for 24 months, and banned from driving for 28 days.