London: Seven Indian-origin men aged between 24 and 36 years have been convicted for their role in a violent disorder involving guns and machetes at a kabaddi tournament in Derby, in the East Midlands region of England.
Derbyshire Police said several people were injured when violence broke out between two groups who attended the tournament at Alvaston in August last year.
While five of the men arrested and charged had pleaded guilty, two others – Parminder Singh and Malkeet Singh – were convicted of violent disorder and possession of a firearm by a jury last week.
All five men will be sentenced at Derby Crown Court at a later date.
“What should have been a pleasant day out for people attending a sporting event turned into a huge violent disorder in which multiple people were injured,” said Detective Chief Inspector Matt Croome, Senior Investigating Officer at Derbyshire Police.
“We know that this incident and the subsequent police investigation had a huge impact on people living in the area as well as those spectators who had attended and we are very grateful to all who have helped with our enquiries,” he said.
Police were called to the scene off Elvaston Lane on August 20 last year after reports of shots being fired and people fighting with weapons. They discovered that the fight had been pre-planned with a group meeting at Brunswick Street, Derby, beforehand.
The court heard how Parminder Singh, 25, was one of those who attended the pre-meeting and was captured on drone footage wearing a face covering and with his hood up. He was also seen to move towards a hedge between two fields at the scene, with police later locating a shoulder bag in the area which contained a loaded semi-automatic pistol.
His DNA was found on both the pistol and the bag and he was hit by a bullet in the groin during the incident and had to have it removed during surgery at hospital, the police said.
The jury also heard that Malkeet Singh, 24, was part of the other group who was involved with the violence before he was then assaulted and suffered injuries to his head.
“Malkeet Singh and Parminder Singh showed a blatant disregard for the safety of others during this event so I am pleased they have now been convicted for their part in this very disturbing incident,” said Detective Constable Stevie Barker, who led the investigation for Derbyshire Police.
“Hundreds of officers have assisted with this investigation, not just from Derbyshire, but across the country, and I would like to thank them for their work to assist with bringing justice for such a huge disorder,” he said.
The others involved in the violence who pleaded guilty included Karamjit Singh, 36, Baljit Singh, 33, Hardev Uppal, 34, Jagjit Singh, 31, and Doodhnath Tripathi, 30.
All five have been convicted of a range of violent disorder offences including possession of a bladed article and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and wounding.
Superintendent Rebecca Webster, Head of Operations for South Division at Derbyshire Police, added: “We know that the vast majority of people who attended this event did so with good intentions to enjoy a fun family day out. Sadly this was spoiled when a number of people - many of whom travelled from across the country – arrived with the intention of causing serious harm and disorder to others.
“This was clearly a very distressing and upsetting incident for all those present on the day and we’d like to thank them for their cooperation throughout this investigation, as well as praise the local community for their support in the days and weeks that followed as we know it did have a significant ongoing impact on them.” Meanwhile, the annual tournament organised by the England Kabaddi Federation made up of clubs organised by the British Punjabi community was back in Derby last weekend.