Siblings attacked uncle with brick and bottles outside Seacroft Tesco store to get 'family justice' over their mum being jailed

Joseph and Thomas Lock and their sister Charlie armed themselves with weapons before targeting their relative outside a Tesco store in Leeds to get revenge over their mum being sent to prison.

Leeds Crown Court heard the teenage brothers were bailed after the attack but were involved in another offence of serious street violence.

The second victim was attacked with a sword in a dispute over a stolen bike.

Carmel Pearson, prosecuting, said the background to the first attack was a family dispute.

In January 2018 the defendants' mother was jailed for perverting justice after she pretended to be her twin sister to avoid a driving conviction.

She was prosecuted after her sister went to the police and told them about the deception.

Ms Pearson said: "It seems then that there had been difficulties in the family."

Shortly after being released from jail, the defendants' mother saw her sister's partner as she was shopping in the Tesco store in Seacroft.

Joseph, Thomas and sister Charlie then confronted their uncle when he left the store and went to a bus stop nearby.

Joseph was armed with half a house brick and his brother and sister were armed with "stubby" bottles.

The victim was knocked to the ground and struck with the weapons multiple times as well as being kicked.

Two Tesco security guards went to help the victim.

He suffered a serious head wound which had to be glued.

All three defendants were arrested in August 2018.

Joseph was found in possession of a knife when he was detained by police officers.

Joseph and Thomas carried out a further serious street attack in June last year.

Ms Pearson said it appeared the brothers had had a tip-off about the whereabouts of a man they had a grievance with over a stolen bike.

The brothers approached the victim as he was walking along the street "minding his own business".

Joseph was armed with a sword and used the weapon to attack him.

Thomas and another male also joined in the attack.

The violence was captured on CCTV footage and Joseph could be seen putting the weapon back in a sheath afterwards.

The victim was left with "gaping lacerations" and needed plastic surgery.

Joseph, now 21, of Glensdale Terrace, Burmantofts, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, unlawful wounding, two counts of possession of an offensive weapon and two of failing to surrender.

He was jailed for five years and ten months.

Thomas, 19, also of Glensdale Terrace, Burmantofts, pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful wounding.

He was sent to a young offender institution for three years.

Charlie, 23, of Hansby Place, Seacroft, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

She was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Ian Cook, mitigating for Joseph, said his client accepted that he would receive a long prison sentence.

Mr Cook said: "Many members of his large extended family have served sentences for serious criminal activity.

"He has been brought up within that kind of family environment that if someone does you wrong you deal with it.

"That has been drilled into him from a young age.

"In his mind he was helping his mother and was righting a wrong.

"It is that drilling into him that you have to take care of people who have wronged you that has brought him into this situation.

"It has almost become a culture for him."

Nick Cartmell, for Thomas, said the defendant was aged just 15 at the time of the attack on his uncle.

The barrister said: "He is the younger of the two brothers and he has idolised his eldest brother throughout the period of his adolescence.

"It is for that reason that he followed him into these events."

Judge Christopher Batty described both assaults as "revenge attacks."

Describing the attack on their uncle, Judge Batty said: "When he was spotted sometime after your mum had been released (from jail) you were informed of his whereabouts and the two of you together, roping in your sister, decided to mete out some family justice."