Four jailed over Ipswich traveller site violence

Caravans were set alight and a horse was killed during the disturbance

Four men have been jailed for their part in a violent disturbance at a travellers' site where two people had recently been fatally stabbed.

A horse died and property was damaged in the incident at West Meadows, Ipswich on 11 December, days after the stabbings.

Ipswich Crown Court was shown footage of the seven-minute attack on the animal, which was due to foal in April.

Judge Rupert Overbury described it as a "sickening and brutal slaughter".

A police operation - estimated to have cost £340,000 - was mounted, with a helicopter scrambled and officer reinforcements drafted in from as far away as Bedfordshire.

The court heard the damage done to property was estimated at £60,000.

Swayley Smith, 24, Henry Harbour, 21, William Harbour, 32, and Ernest Oakley, 22, admitted violent disorder and were jailed for three years.

Levi Harbour, 20, was given three years in youth detention after admitting the same charge at Ipswich Crown Court.

A 14-year-old, who cannot be named, admitted violent disorder and was given a 12-month referral order.

Ernest Oakley, Swayley Smith and Henry Harbour (from top left) and William Harbour (below left) were jailed and Levi Harbour (below right) was given youth detention

Henry Harbour, of Wickford in Essex, was sentenced to four months after he admitted criminal damage.

William Harbour, of Woodland Way in Ipswich, was also given two months for admitting to breaching a suspended sentence.

Oakley, of West Meadows in Ipswich, also admitted criminal damage, for which he received a four-month sentence.

All the sentences are to be served consecutively.

Swayley Smith is from Barnsley in South Yorkshire.

A 17-year-old, who cannot been named, has been charged with the murders of Barry Street, 32, and Nathan Oakley, 18, who died during a separate incident three days earlier.

He will be tried at the Old Bailey in June.