A teenager who brandished a Samurai sword as armed men ran amok in the street led police to crack a drugs supply chain.

Dominik Bialy was one of a large number wielding knives and other bladed weapons who clashed in broad daylight on a Saturday afternoon in front of frightened and shocked witnesses.

One woman who made a 999 call watched in horror as the yobs ran back and forth, threatening each other and thrusting the blades, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

Describing the violent disturbance in Trinity Road, Gillingham, on February 24 as "blatant", she told officers: "They were trying to stab one another in broad daylight. I have never seen so many knives."

Having viewed CCTV footage of the rumpus, police went to a property in nearby Richmond Road three days later, where they found Bialy, three further knives, and evidence linking him to the control of the 'LJ' crack cocaine drugs line.

This included 40 wraps of the Class A substance, a phone, weighing scales, £614 cash and other paraphernalia.

Bialy, then 18, was arrested and later admitted possessing crack cocaine with intent to supply, possessing a bladed article, affray and possessing an offensive weapon in a private place.

At his sentencing hearing last Tuesday, the court heard that on the day of the affray he was among a group of three "in conflict" with a group of four, and all seven were armed with "long knives and swords".

Bialy, now 19, had also travelled down to Medway from his home in Mill Road, Erith.

Although he gave a 'no comment' interview following his arrest, he claimed the cash found in the police search on February 27 was from his Universal Credit payment.

Prosecutor Donna Longcroft told the court the teenager admitted responsibility for one of the knives found, with a 17-year-old arrested with him claiming the other two belonged to him.

The LJ drugs line, for which Bialy controlled the phone, had been in operation from January 11.

As for the violence, Ms Longcroft said the fighting groups were not only threatening each other but causing fear and serious alarm to the public.

‘By having that fight, for which I have no doubt the background was drugs, you brought violent disorder and fear onto the streets…’

The court heard that Bialy, who has a previous conviction for possessing a weapon in a private place and possessing cannabis, had been in foster care, was moved "all over the country" and then fell in "with the wrong crowd".

But his barrister, Nadia Semlali, said he had acted in "a moment of madness" and was now trying to improve himself by undertaking educational and vocational courses while in custody.

"This is a young man, only 19 years old, not heavily convicted...He is trying to better himself in prison so he will be armed with the tools on release to obtain legal employment," she told the court.

Jailing the teenager for three years, the judge remarked he had "no doubt" the "extremely serious" street violence was linked to illegal substances.

Recorder James Dawes KC told the court: "Two groups, both armed with long knives, were in conflict on the streets of Gillingham in broad daylight and the defendant was one of those involved.

"He was in the smaller group but they held swords, not knives, and ran around on the street in conflict with the other group, and threatened the other group with knives, and caused a disturbance such that members of the public, and in particular one, were terrified for their personal safety."

Then, directing his sentencing remarks directly to Bialy, the judge continued: "You may think the selling of drugs has no adverse effects but that's not true.

"Because drugs come with violence and the holding of knives. By having that fight, for which I have no doubt the background was drugs, you brought violent disorder and fear onto the streets.

"I bear in mind you have had a very difficult upbringing and been in foster care since the age of 11 or 12 and have, perhaps, lacked parental assistance in growing up.

"That does not excuse, however, this behaviour or excuse the selling of drugs, particularly in an area which is not your own."

In respect of Bialy's efforts to learn and acquire new skills while on remand, the recorder said he gave him "great credit", and wished him well for the future in the hope of having "a working life and not a life spent in custody."

The teenager arrested with Bialy was previously dealt with at a separate hearing in the youth court.