A dad accused of brandishing a machete during an argument in Barton has admitted affray.

Andee Williams, also known by the surname Morton, was involved in the brawl outside the shops in Underhill Circus last June together with now convicted stab killer Lewis Brown and two other young men.

The 50-year-old was due to stand trial at Oxford Crown Court this week accused of affray, making threats with a knife and possession of a blade.

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An attempt to try the case in November last year had to be abandoned. It followed issues about evidence not having been properly disclosed to the defendant’s lawyers.

Appearing before the crown court on Monday afternoon, Williams, of Westlands Drive, Oxford, pleaded guilty to affray and possession of a blade.

Judge Michael Gledhill QC, who bailed Williams to return to court on June 24 for sentence, ordered that the remaining charge of making threats with a knife was to ‘lie on file’ and would not be tried without the say-so of an Oxford judge or the Court of Appeal.

Last year, jurors heard that Williams allegedly brandished a machete as he argued with an unidentified man on June 2 last year. He denied the item was a knife and said he’d gone to the assistance of some local youths.

The confrontation was said to have followed a spat outside the SPAR shop in Underhill Circus, Barton.

Jurors were told he was arrested nearby, when police found a ‘seven to eight inch’ hunting knife in his rucksack – a different knife to the one allegedly used to threaten the other man.

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The suspect was said to have told police: “Is there a knife in there?” In a statement, attending officer PC Jack Walter said the comment was made ‘in a manner suggesting he was surprised’. Williams was expected to tell jurors that he had confiscated the blade some time earlier, although the trial did not reach the stage where he gave evidence.

A neighbour who called the police said the brawl had made her feel ‘distressed’. She said: “This is happening outside my home and we had five children at the address. I thought something needs to happen here, the police need to be here just in case anything further does happen.” 

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Two other adults have admitted their part in the brawl. Lewis Brown, 20, of Barton Village Road, pleaded guilty last week to affray and possession of a knife, having earlier this month been jailed for 10-and-a-half years for fatally stabbing his drugs line’s customer Lee Butler in Barton. Second man Cameron Merritt, 18, of Bayswater Road, has also admitted affray.

They will all be sentenced at the same hearing on June 24.

Oxford Mail: Lewis Brown, who is currently serving a prison sentence for manslaughter, was also involved in the brawl Picture: TVPLewis Brown, who is currently serving a prison sentence for manslaughter, was also involved in the brawl Picture: TVP

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward