Drugs gang jailed after machete attack on rivals

Four men have been jailed after they attacked a rival drugs gang with swords, machetes and knives, before pushing them out of a first floor window and continuing the attack on the ground.

Isaiah Anderson, Benjamin Forrester, Jeremiah Anderson, and Denzel Patrick were all found guilty of attempted murder following the incident on Grantley Street in Wakefield on 23 June 2021.

They were each sentenced to 35 years in prison following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Det Insp Phil Davis from West Yorkshire Police said the men used "extreme violence in broad daylight" in front of children, with one of the victims "likely to require lifelong care due to their injuries".

Anderson, 26, of Raynville Street, Leeds, Forrester, 27, of Westgate Central, Leeds, Anderson, 29, of Ebberston Terrace, Leeds and Patrick, 30, of Manor Farm Road, Leeds, were each also found guilty of wounding and affray.

The court heard the defendants were part of the "Chappy" drugs line who had retaliated over an incident earlier that day when Jeremiah Anderson was attacked by members of the rival Red drugs line, based in Leicester.

The gang forced entry to the property and assaulted three men.

West Yorkshire Police said one of the victims was slashed at by one of the men armed with a machete, before being pushed from a first floor window.

The other two victims were also pushed from the first floor, then repeatedly stabbed as they lay unconscious on the ground outside.

A force spokesperson said one victim was left with "an acute bleed to the brain and multiple stab wounds, including through his lung and his liver".

"More than three years later, he has life-changing injuries and requires 24-hour care," they said.

Another man received multiple stab wounds to the chest and other deep cuts, including to his pelvis and ankle, officers said.

Det Insp Davis added: "These men have demonstrated a willingness to use extreme levels of violence in retaliation against a rival drugs line.

"These men could very easily have been facing murder charges with the injuries they inflicted during this incident."

He added: "All four refused to accept responsibility for their actions and have shown little remorse for what they have done."

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