Seven men jailed after large scale fight at sporting event in Derby

Seven men have been sentenced after taking part in a large scale fight involving machetes and guns at a sporting event in Derby.

Violence broke out between two groups who attended a Kabaddi tournament in Alvaston last summer (2023), leaving a number of people injured.

Police were called to the scene, off Elvaston Lane, just before 4pm on Sunday 20 August after reports of shots being fired and people fighting with weapons.

The fight had been pre-planned with a group meeting in Brunswick Street, Derby, beforehand.

Parminder Singh 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. He was hit by a bullet in the groin during the incident and had to have it removed during surgery at hospital.  The 25-year-old, of the West Midlands, has been convicted of violent disorder and possession of a firearm.

Malkeet Singh, was part of the other group, and was also involved with the violence before he was then assaulted and suffered injuries to his head. The 24-year-old, of Court Road, Wolverhampton, has been convicted of violent disorder.

Hardev Uppal travelled to the scene with Malkeet Singh. Video footage shows him firing a gun with the shot hitting Karamjit Singh in the groin. Uppal was then assaulted by members of the opposing group and suffered a fractured skull. The 34-year-old, of Sycamore Road, Tipton, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and wounding.

Doodhnath Tripathi was part of a group that assaulted Malkeet Singh with swords and other weapons. Video footage shows him hitting Malkeet Singh with a sword. The 31-year-old, of Manor Avenue, Hounslow pleaded guilty to wounding.

Karamjit Singh was seen on video brandishing two swords above his head. He was then involved in the violence against Hardev Uppal and Malkeet Singh before putting his machetes in a car and leaving the scene as the violence subsided. The 36-year-old, of Shakespeare Street, Derby admitted possession of a bladed article and violent disorder.

Jagjit Singh was seen to fire a gun during the disorder. The 31-year-old, of Bolton Road, Wolverhampton has admitted possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

Baljit Singh was involved in the violent disorder and also had possession of a weapon. The 33-year-old, of Lawfred Avenue, Wolverhampton admitted possession of a bladed article and violent disorder.

All seven men appeared at Derby Crown Court for sentence on 6 November and received the following sentences:

• Malkeet Singh – jailed for 3 years
• Parminder Singh – jailed for 6 years and 6 months
• Karamjit Singh – jailed for 4 years and 6 months
• Jagjit Singh – jailed for 4 years and 6 months
• Baljit Singh – jailed for 3 years and 9 months
• Doodhnath Tripathi – jailed for 5 years and 10 months
• Hardev Uppal – jailed for 10 years and 10 months

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Croome, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “This should have been a fun family day out at a sporting event but it descended into a huge violent disorder which left multiple people injured and many people in fear for their safety.

“These men attended this event with the specific intention of causing trouble having pre-planned their attack and arming themselves with weapons.

“Their actions and the level of violence seen on this day was abhorrent.

“For the many people who attended the event with good intentions, this was a very frightening and upsetting scene and we are grateful to them, as well as the wider community, for all of their help with our investigation throughout.

“We know this investigation has had a huge impact on people and I’d like to thank all those who have helped us bring these seven men to justice as well as all of the officers involved in what has been a long and very complex investigation.”

Detective Constable Stevie Barker, who led the investigation, added: “These men showed a blatant disregard for the safety of others during this event, which was intended to be a fun sporting tournament but ended with mindless violence caused by these two groups.

“Their actions on the day left a number of people with physical injuries and also had a mental and emotional impact on the hundreds of spectators who were there to enjoy the Kabaddi tournament with their friends and families.

“The subsequent investigation into this disorder has been very complex and wide-ranging, involving hundreds of officers, not just from Derbyshire but across the country and I’d like to thank them for all of their help.

“I’m also very grateful to the local community for their support in the days and weeks that followed this incident as I know it did have a significant impact on them.”