Darnall: Grinning face of armed thug involved in Sheffield attack which left man needing surgery

The man attacked by defendants Martell Maw and Ryan Wright suffered wounds to his elbow, knee and the tendons in his index finger, and subsequently underwent plastic surgery to treat one of the injuries.

Both Maw and Wright had armed themselves with knives prior to involving themselves in the altercation, Sheffield Crown Court heard during a hearing held on June 12, 2025.

Sending both men to prison, Judge Sarah Wright told the pair: “Carrying a knife is not only serious, but risks serious harm to others. It is a serious business.

“I frequently deal with murder trials where the deceased’s own knife is used against them.”

The violence was meted out in an altercation which unfolded on Clipstone Gardens in the Darnall area of Sheffield on July 22, 2024.

Prosecutor Lily Wildman said the altercation took place after some sort of “verbal disagreement.”

The complainant was left with a five centimetre wound to his right elbow, along with a three centimetre wound to his right knee and a wound to the tendons on one of his index fingers.

“The complainant was taken to Northern General hospital in an ambulance…he had plastic surgery to treat his injuries,” Ms Wildman told the court.

Maw, aged 22, and Wright, 21, both admitted offences of affray and possessing a knife blade/ sharp pointed article in a public place on June 11, 2025, which was due to be the first day of their trial after initially entering not guilty pleas to the charges they faced.

Ms Wildman said Maw’s previous conviction for a Section 18 assault and possession of a bladed article was an aggravating factor in his case.

Representing Maw, of Darnall, Sheffield, Dermot Hughes acknowledged that his client’s previous conviction was likely to “worry” the court.

Get the best news and analysis from Sheffield’s courts with our new newsletter - subscribe today

“It worries his mother and grandmother who have attended court today…they don’t want to be spending their time visiting him in prison, and don’t want to be spending their time worrying about what he’s up to,” he said.

“He needs to be very careful about how he’s conducting himself, because young men who carry knives run a great risk to themselves and others. That penny seems to be dropping.”

He continued by saying Maw now seems to be maturing and is looking forward to a fresh start once he is released from custody.

Laura Marshall, defending Wright, said his first experience of custody - while on remand - had been a “difficult” one.

She added: “He’s very anxious not to place himself in a situation where he finds himself in a custodial environment.

“He’s learned his lesson, and it’s been a very difficult lesson for him to learn.”

Ms Marshall said Wright, of West Melton, Rotherham, may be 21-years-old, but has the “emotional maturity” of someone much younger than that.

Wright, she suggested, had endured a difficult childhood, and - like his co-accused - is looking forward to turning his life around after leaving prison and now has plans to leave the area and move in with his brother.

Judge Wright jailed Maw for 28 months, and Wright for 23 months.

She also granted a restraining order, prohibiting the defendants from contacting the complainant for a period of five years.