Overview
- At Newport Crown Court, Omed Pirot, 31, Sardam Ebrahimi, 28, and Shahab Husseini, 25, pleaded not guilty to violent disorder and affray.
- Prosecutors say a business dispute over a planned Newbridge barbershop led to four cars arriving in Blackwood before a large fight involving about 13 men.
- Evidence shown includes CCTV and witness-filmed footage, with items such as spanners and scissors referenced as makeshift weapons.
- Pirot told the court he faced threats to burn his shop and was struck with a knuckleduster, while Ebrahimi and Husseini said they acted to protect colleagues and deter attackers.
- Police reported linked incidents in Blackwood and Newbridge minutes apart, four people taken to hospital, two puncture wounds noted in court, and Pirot found to have a fractured skull.