Man threatened group of men with a machete while wearing Halloween mask

A man has been jailed for more than seven years after threatening four men in a street with a machete while wearing a bizarre Halloween mask.

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Gregory Small, of Cedar Road in Farnborough, was seen repeatedly swinging the weapon at one of the men in Queen Street in the town on August 27 last year.

During the incident he was dressed in a black Halloween ‘Scream’-type mask and black cape-style coat.

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According to reports one of the men received cuts to his abdomen and hand, and bruising to his forearm.

Gregory SmallGregory Small
Gregory Small

The other three men intervened and knocked Small, 28, to the ground. Another of the men suffered lacerations to his arm during the incident.

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Police arrived after the men left and searched Small’s car, where they found cannabis.

Small was treated at hospital for a fracture of the skull, bruising and abrasions to his head, face, shoulder and thigh.

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During an earlier trial in March this year Small was found guilty of possessing cannabis with intent to supply, for which he was sentenced to four months in custody and was further sentenced to a month in prison for possession of cocaine.

Following a three-day trial at Salisbury Crown Court, Small was found guilty of attempted GBH and affray. He was sentenced to a year for the affray.

He had earlier admitted threatening someone with a bladed article in a public place for which he was sentenced to a year and a half in prison.

All sentences will run concurrently so he will serve a total of seven and a half years.

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The actions of the four men against Small were accepted as self defence and no further action will be taken against any of them.

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