A FAMILY feud across two counties has resulted in four men being jailed for a total of 11 years and seven months between them.

The long-running dispute between three families in Gloucester and Evesham escalated over the Coronation weekend with a man being attacked with ball bearings fired from a catapult and his high-valued vehicles damaged.

Danny O’Loughlin Jnr, age 25 and of Waterloo Street, Swindon Village, Cheltenham, Mihai Pricina, 31 of Waterside, Evesham, Conner Delaney, 27 of Castle View, Eckington, and Ethan Cooney, 20 of no fixed address, were all sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court.

It came after armed officers arrested Daniel O’Loughlin Snr in Waterloo Street, Cheltenham.

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The O’Loughlin and Johnson families believed the Smith family were behind his arrest.

Robert White was at home on his farm with his wider family, who were associated with the Smith family because they had grown up together in Cheltenham, and had often been targeted by the Johnsons and the O’Loughlins.

Prosecutor Susan Cavender said: "A friend of Mr White travelled to the farm in a Ford Ranger pickup and stopped outside and waited for the gates to open.

"But before the gate could close a second vehicle, a black BMW X5, stopped at the entrance, preventing the automatic gate from closing.

"Mr White walked up the driveway to see who it was as five men got out the vehicle - Danny O’Loughlin Jnr, Mihai Pricina, Conner Delaney and Ethan Cooney along with an unknown fifth man – all dressed in dark clothing and wearing balaclavas and hoods up.

“The first man fired a ball bearing at him from a catapult and swore at him. He yelled at the man in the Ford Ranger to get back into the pick-up."

Mr White continued to ask them to leave.

"However, the men began attacking the two vehicles owned by the White family with O’Loughlin and the fifth man unleashing a hail of ball bearings which not only damaged the vehicles but broke through one of the house windows, hitting a member of the White family.

"Delaney attacked the Audi A7 with a distinctive-looking sledgehammer with a white handle and a green head.

"Cooney throws a rock at the house and kicks and punches the vehicles. Mr White then fled into the house to protect his family."

After six minutes, the five men returned to their vehicle and left.

The court was told the four men were later arrested.

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Delaney was arrested at the Eckington travellers’ site, near Evesham, along with the BMW with the mismatched wheels. The number plates used on the vehicle had been cloned.  

All four defendants were made subject to an indefinite restraining order not to contact Mr White or his wider family or attend a farm in Gloucester.

The judge also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of all weapons found.