Teenage machete thugs are locked up after clashing outside Nottingham art gallery in scenes of violence branded ‘petrifying and shocking’ by a judge

Two teenage thugs who brandished machetes during a fight outside a city centre art gallery have been jailed.

Police were called to Weekday Cross, Nottingham, at around 12.30pm on January 31, after a violent brawl broke out between two groups.

A group of yobs in puffer jackets were seen wielding knives during the scuffle, which happened outside the Nottingham Contemporary art centre.

‘Petrifying and shocking’ Jordan Bazuna, 19, and Jack Bolton, 18, both from Nottingham, were jailed for their part in the fight. 

Bazuna was sent to a youth offender institution for 16 months and Bolton was jailed for 18 months. 

No one was injured but both teenagers were identified by detectives on CCTV footage waving machetes around and threatening each other. 

Both had pleaded guilty to affray and threats with a blade in a public place.

The judge, Recorder David Bedenham, said it must have been a ‘petrifying and shocking’ scene for anyone to witness and could have led to further serious disorder.

Detective Inspector Chris Berryman, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘This was an appalling incident, in the middle of the day, outside a busy city centre venue.

‘Officers and members of the public will share a sense of revulsion to see knives being wielded in such a reckless fashion on our streets.

‘Thankfully, no one was injured, but that is no thanks to Bazuna and Bolton who were identified as waving knives around and threatening each other during the altercation.

‘I hope the police response – which included public appeals, many hours of painstaking detective work and rapid arrests and charges – provides some comfort to anyone who witnessed it.

‘I also hope the wider public are reassured by the sentences handed down in court.

‘As a force we have always been very clear, we will not tolerate this sort of behaviour and any report of knives being brandished like this will always be met with a robust response.

‘We need people to understand that carrying a knife does not protect you and can have devastating consequences for individuals and their families.

‘The force’s work to educate young people about the risks and consequences of knife crime continues through education sessions in schools or colleges, engagement work in the community and proactive policing.’

One worker said at the time that it was lucky there were no visitors in the art gallery. He added: ‘I was scared for my life’.