A ‘family man’ who threatened a man with a knife and went to a café with a meat cleaver after his younger brother was ‘bullied’ has been jailed for more than five years.

Reece Ball, 20, was involved in two group attacks, the first where he was wielding a knife during a burglary and the second where he turned up with a meat cleaver and made threats to a group in a café.

Nicola Carroll, prosecuting at Preston Crown Court said on October 30, 2020, Ball, of York Close, Clayton Le Moors, was with two friends, a man and a woman, when he was spotted by Bradley Pettigrew who was looking out of a flat window in Henry Street.

Mr Pettigrew went outside and an argument began, with Ball shouting ‘come on, let’s have it’.

A man who was with Ball picked up a road sign and Mr Pettigrew went to run inside when the man threw the sign, blocking the door from being closed.

Mr Pettigrew’s brother, Tyler, managed to get him inside and get the door closed and the group left.

More people arrived at the Henry Street flat when they suddenly heard the sound of metal hitting the door before the door was kicked through.

A group, all wearing masks to hide their faces ran into the flat, with at least two of them include Ball wielding knives. The others had baseball bats.

Ball put the knife to Mr Pettigrew’s neck and made threats such as ‘give me everything you have’ and ‘this is what you get when you mess with us’.

The group left and on November 1, Ball was arrested for his involvement before being released under investigation.

During his release, he went to the home of one of the victims, Miss Heywood and told her that she 'better remove her statement' – he was sentenced in the Magistrates Court for intimidating a witness.

Ball was also in court for a second incident committed while on court bail for the aggravated burglary.

Ms Carroll went on to say how on July 31, 2022, a group of about nine males, including Ball, burst into Chai Guys takeaway in Queen Street, Great Harwood.

Two of the group were wielding blades, including Ball who was seen on CCTV with a meat cleaver.

The group confronted a table who followed them outside, with the takeaway owner ringing the police concerned someone had been stabbed.

On August 22, officers arrested Ball.

Mitigating, Robert Elias said Ball was going through a difficult time when he committed the aggravated burglary, he was just 18 at the time and was ‘immature’.

Mr Elias said between the two offences, Ball had got two jobs and became a father.

He also said Ball’s younger brother had been bullied and as a man who has a ‘strong sense of family loyalty’, he got involved in the affray.

Mr Elias said: “He is finding growing up difficult and is trying to find his feet. He was working and he is now a father.”

District Judge Jack McGarva jailed Ball for five years and three months.