Man wearing gang clothes caught waving 'gruesome' machete outside McDonald's in Arnold

An expectant father from Nottingham was caught waving a “particularly gruesome” machete around outside a Nottinghamshire McDonald's. Nottingham Crown Court heard that Malik Blake had the fearsome weapon “to protect himself” having previously been stabbed when he was 16.

The now 24-year-old had also previously turned to carrying blades when he became involved in a huge illegal street party in Basford in 2021 when Covid regulations banned such large gatherings. Two years ago he was handed a suspended sentence for having knives and told by a judge to move to live with an aunt in London to get away from gang culture in Nottingham.

Now he has been handed a final lifeline because it has taken almost two years for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to bring the latest case to court. Handing Blake a 12-month jail term, suspended for two years, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC said: “This is not the first time I have seen you and I really hope it will be the last. When I passed sentence on you for three offences (committed in 2021) I was extremely concerned about your involvement in gang crime.

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“I was concerned about you being in Nottingham at all and I sent you to London to go and live with your aunt to get away from Nottingham and you came back and got in trouble again. Locking you up would have been a real option if I could have sentenced you nearer the time. But I also take into account what happened that night because it is important.

“There were three of you out that night all in gang attire. She came to that McDonald's, you were frightened, she came after you and you ran away and I am quite satisfied that, panicking, you were trying to keep her away from you.

“The public should not think I am going soft on knife crime - far from it. You are more vulnerable (to it) than many other people.”

In 2021, Blake, then of Edmonstone Crescent, Bestwood, was caught with two knives during a mass gathering of people. At the time, residents told Nottinghamshire Live that more than 200 people descended on the illegal street party in Bramble Close, Basford before it spiralled into chaos. And they said a sound system was set up in the street between 2pm and 3pm and hundreds of people were seen singing, dancing and drinking from bottles, cans and plastic cups.

Kevin Jones, prosecuting, said at around 12.30am on August 5, 2022, Blake was in the McDonalds in Arnold and a woman came in looking for her partner. Mr Joners said the defendant started walking towards her, picked up a chair and shouted “come on then” before producing the machete and saying “come any nearer I will stab you” and then ran away followed by the female who was on her partner’s electric scooter.

The prosecutor said: “He stopped and was swinging the machete around somewhat recklessly. A police vehicle was passing and she shouted ‘he’s got a knife’ and he ran and threw the machete into some bushes.

“They detained Mr Blake and recovered the machete which had his DNA on it. It was a particularly gruesome weapon he was carrying around.”

Blake, now of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article. Sue Rodham, mitigating, said her client had attended court with his heavily pregnant partner who is expecting their child in two months.

As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge ordered Blake to attend 45 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service.