Furious man beat childhood Leeds pal with pickaxe handle after 'silly disagreement'

Filled with rage, Jacob Davenport then grabbed a golf club and attacked a second man, Leeds Crown Court heard.

The 23-year-old admitted affray, possession of an offensive weapon and criminal damage after the "unpleasant incident" in July 2021.

Davenport and his friend, who both suffer from autism, had got into a spat which flared over the phone when Davenport threatened to go to his house, with the victim encouraging him.

Having been driven by his father, Davenport went to the man's home in Leeds and found him sat in his garden with other friends.

Davenport damaged the victim's neighbour's gate to gain entry and began swinging the handle, connecting with the victim twice, before Davenport was taken to the ground by a rugby tackle, the court heard.

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As the victim ran inside, he was struck again to the shoulder by the pickaxe handle. Davenport struck out at another man who was able to grab the weapon and throw it.

But Davenport then picked up the golf club and struck the second man in the leg so hard the club snapped. Davenport then picked up a shard of a bottle or glass, but relented. He walked away warning the victims "not to spread rumours".

Following his arrest, Davenport, of Mid View Huddersfield, admitted there had been a "falling out" between the men, who had been friends since they were younger, and that he had gone to his home intending to attack him.

He has six previous convictions for eight offences, including possession of a bladed article in 2019.

Mitigating, Rachel Webster said that it had been nearly three years since the attack and he had stayed out of trouble. She said: "He is deeply remorseful. It was a silly disagreement between friends that got out of hand. He was goaded to come round, so it was not entirely unprovoked."

Judge Tahir Khan KC told him: "It was a most unpleasant incident in which you used unlawful violence towards your friend."

He handed him a 24-month jail term, suspended for 24 months, along with 250 hours of unpaid work.