Armed with kebab skewers, glass bottles and metal poles, the two takeaway clans in Newport, South Wales went to war in a battle like something out of the Lord of the (onion) Rings
A furious war between two kebab shop families saw rivals striking each other with skewers in a mass brawl. The raging takeaway clans armed themselves with glass bottles, metal poles and sticks in the running battle, which can be raced back to a dispute in their native Turkey.
Footage of the aftermath showed the feuding men were left battered, bruised and bloodied. A total of eight people were arrested after the violence broke out in the daytime between the Sayak and Aksoy families in Newport, South Wales.
Five have been jailed and some face being deported when they are freed from their two-year sentences. Witnesses believed some the weapons used were large swords – but they were actually kebab skewers used in the takeaway restaurants.
Prosecutor Alex Orndal said: “This was significant public violence. The origin of the animosity between the two families is a result of infighting connected to their families in Turkey.”
Mr Orndal said the fight began when one of the defendants struck another with a glass bottle and the injured man summoned his family for help. Violence then broke out between the two groups and lasted for around 20 seconds, with footage captured on CCTV and by passersby.
Seven men admitted their part in the massive fight outside the kebab shop and convenience store in Commercial Road in Pill. The busy road – just a short distance from the city’s main police station – was closed for three hours after the bloody brawl.
Newport Crown Court heard the families had since signed a “peace and reconciliation covenant” after concerns were raised in the local Kurdish and Turkish communities. The court heard they had also prayed together while being held in custody.
Judge Richard Kember told the defendants: “This was a disgraceful outbreak of violence and disorder. It took place in a busy public place.”
Five of the defendants, Firat Sayak, 45, Savas Sayak, 34, Murat Aksoy, 28, Mehmet Aksoy, 52, and Mazhar Askoy, 40, were jailed for two years. Yagmur Sayak, 43, and Burak Aksoy, 25, were each handed 12 month suspended sentences and ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work
A 17-year-old male will be sentenced later. Some defendants face being deported after they are released halfway through their sentences.
Speaking at the time, Chief Superintendent John Davies said: “I hope that these charges show our communities that we are heavily invested in responding to and investigating reports of crime and that we are committed to helping keep the streets of Gwent safe.
“A large number of officers have worked tirelessly to investigate and secure these charges, and we will continue to work with our partners to identify the issues and tackle the causes surrounding this incident.”
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