WARRING former crime partners brought chaos and violence to a west Wiltshire street but only one man has ended up in court.

Residents in Southville Road, Bradford on Avon, were terrified when a fight between seven men broke out near Aldhelm Court sheltered home in November 2003.

Swindon Crown Court heard on Monday how two former partners arranged to meet to sort out their differences, ending in one man being stabbed and a second beaten unconscious.

Only one man Robert Alden, 49, has been charged because detectives hit a wall of silence.

George Threlfall, prosecuting, said Alden and former crime partner Lee Llewellyn had worked together as nightclub doormen and hatched a plan to hijack lorries.

The crime was uncovered and a judge at Winchester Crown Court handed jail terms to those involved. Alden was aggrieved as he felt Llewellyn had grassed him up and received a lighter sentence.

Mr Threlfall said Alden ran into Llewellyn's brother Stephen in a Frome nightclub which led to a meeting being arranged.

The court heard Alden and other men, armed with pickaxe handles and baseball bats drove to Bradford to confront Llewellyn, who had hidden in a bush near his home armed with a knife.

Mr Threlfall said: "The defendant came towards where Lee Llewellyn was and saw the knife.

"The defendant taunted him saying 'I don't think you've got the bottle to use it'. Lee Llewellyn stabbed him in the chest."

Llewellyn's brother arrived in his Citron, which was pushed 20 yards by a Range Rover into the wall of Aldhelm Court.

Gang members with Alden set about Stephen who was beaten unconscious. Alden suffered life-threatening injuries.

Police launched an attempted murder inquiry but Alden said Llewellyn had not stabbed him even though he had admitted doing it in self-defence. Other men arrested were released without charge.

Alden, of Coronation Road, Frome, pleaded guilty to affray.

Ray Tully, defending, said Alden and the people with him were unarmed.

Alden was given a one-year sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to pay £300 costs.