A MAN took part in “an horrendous night of violence”, at two terraced houses in nearby streets.

During the sustained incidents, in the early hours of May 12, Ian Ord was involved in a threatening and violent outburst at the home of a young couple in Fifth Street, Blackhall Colliery.

Durham Crown Court heard that a short time later, when police went to a house he and an accomplice were believed to have retreated to, in Eighth Street, they were involved in a three-hour “stand-off” with officers outside in the street.

Stephen Littlewood, prosecuting, Ord and the other man, armed with a metal bar and a machete, turned up outside the couple’s home, banging on the door, shouting “grass” and smashing a window, at about 4.30am.

During the incident, Ord struck the male householder on the leg with a metal bar

Police went to an address in Eighth Street, where Ord, his accomplice and that man’s girlfriend, Emily Harding, were present.

They shouted abuse and threats at officers and threw missiles, including an ironing board, in their direction.

Mr Littlewood said the “stand-off” ended at about 7.15am when Ord ran from the house, but was detained.

The other two were subsequently arrested.

Ord, 21, of Blackhall, admitted two counts of affray, assault causing actual bodily harm, common assault on a police officer who arrested him, and criminal damage to a police van.

Mr Littlewood told the court that Ord’s accomplice, a 26-year-old man from nearby Horden, has subsequently died while on remand in jail, the circumstances of which are subject to inquiries by prison authorities, before being passed to the county Coroner’s Office.

Lewis Kerr, mitigating for Ord, said he was living a “chaotic lifestyle” at the time, but the death of his friend in custody has, “changed his attitude to life”.

Jailing him for a total of 27 months, Recorder Joanne Kidd described it as “an horrendous” night of violence for all concerned in those two streets, where the defendants were, “out of control”.

Harding, 20, of Sixth Street, Horden, who admitted being part of the second affray, was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for two years, with 25 activity days supervised by the Probation Service, plus a three-month 7pm to 7am home curfew.

She must also pay £150 compensation to the police.