A THREE-minute brawl that saw two sisters and another man attack a couple with a baseball bat and a pool cue was described as “a shocking piece of street violence” by a judge, as all parties were spared jail.

On Tuesday, Winchester Crown Court heard details of the fight between sisters Chantelle and Jodie Gale along with Michael Shord, and Tracy and Christopher Thomas, on April 22 last year.

CCTV footage of the brawl (lasting two minutes and 48 seconds) which took place in Partridge Way, Old Sarum, showed Mrs Thomas, 47, knocking on the door of the address, before Mr Thomas, 46, started talking to someone inside.

Prosecuting, Ellie Fargin said Jodie Gale, 21, can be seen “remonstrating” with a pointed finger before Mrs Thomas “throws the first punch”.

Jodie Gale and Mrs Thomas then started a “scuffle” outside, Chantelle Gale, 18, appeared and was knocked to the ground by Mr Thomas and Shord, 29, ran out of the house with a baseball bat in his hands.

During the skirmish Chantelle Gale re-entered the house and came back out with a miniature pool cue, which was used to hit Mrs Thomas.

Shord hit Mr Thomas with the bat twice, leaving him with minor injures.

The incident ended about two minutes later.

The Gale sisters and Shord admitted affray at Salisbury magistrates’ court in December.

The court heard that Chantelle Gale, who was a youth at the time of the incident, was of good character and that her sister had three previous convictions, including public order offences and battery.

Ms Fargin said Shord had “a history of violent offending”, with 14 previous convictions, including time spent in a detention centre for actual bodily harm and common assault.

Ms Fargin said Mr and Mrs Thomas, of Southbourne Way, Porton, were both of previous good character and were dealt with by way of a binding over, which is a preventative civil law measure ordering a person to keep the peace after minor allegations of public disorder, and is not a conviction.

Defending Shord, Tom Acworth said his client’s actions were “unacceptable” but that the CCTV footage showed Mr and Mrs Thomas to be “the aggressors”, who had displayed “a significant degree of provocation”.

He said the bat used by Shord had been “covered in foam” and that he was threatened by Mr Thomas, who is “much bigger than Mr Shord”, adding: “He spends much of his time [on the CCTV] running away from Mr Thomas.”

And Mr Acworth said Mr Thomas had accepted in interview that after the incident he had gone to his car to get a tire iron, although this was not used.

He said following the skirmish a “group of ten men” arrived at Partridge Close banging on the door, leading the trio to call the police a second time.

Mr Acworth said Shord’s life “stands at a turning point” and that he is engaging with drug services and plans to undergo a parenting course as his four young children are currently in care.

Representing the Gale sisters, Trevor Line said they had been trying to protect each other, their property and their five-year-old sister who was in the house at the time.

Judge Susan Evans QC said it was “a shocking incident” but that there was “a significant degree of provocation” from Mr and Mrs Thomas.

“Were it not for the serious provocation in this case you would all likely receive immediate custodial sentences, but I can tell you now I am not sending any of you to prison,” she added.

Jodie Gale, of Cook Court, Bishopdown, and Shord, of Pinewood Close, Salisbury, each received a 12 month community order with rehabilitation days and Chantelle Gale, of Gapwing Drive, Old Sarum, was conditionally discharged.