Newlywed son-in-law slashed millionaire gipsy king's hand with a machete in a restaurant car park after he went 'to make peace' over claim he had been abusing his bride

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Multi-millionaire gipsy king Alfie Best was attacked with a machete by his son-in-law when they met to 'make peace' over claims the newlywed was abusing his bride.

Matthew Newland launched at his father-in-law with the weapon when a 'melee' broke out in the car park of an Italian restaurant.

The duo had arranged to meet in April to resolve claims that Newland had been violent towards Mr Best's daughter Elizabeth, who he had married three weeks earlier. 

Multi-millionaire gipsy king Alfie Best (pictured) was attacked with a machete by his son-in-law when they met to 'make peace' over claims the newlywed was abusing his bride

Guildford Crown Court heard how, after arriving at the decided location, Mr Best - a keen amateur boxer who sits at the helm of a £200m business - began punching Newland through the window of his car.

Newland, from Chertsey, Surrey, then pulled a machete from his glovebox and began waving it towards his father-in-law, leaving Mr Best with a 'deep cut' when he tried to grab it.

The court was told how a worker from the restaurant tried to intervene but backed off when Newland brandished the weapon.

Newland, who has been remanded in custody since April, has now been ordered to serve a remaining five weeks of a 13-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to affray and being in possession of a bladed article.

As he was taken down to the cells, he thanked Judge Stewart before blowing his wife a kiss and shouting 'happy birthday, babe'.

Guildford Crown Court heard how Mr Best - whose son Alfie Best Junior starred in My Big Fat Gypsy Fortune and Big Fat Gypsy Christmas - had gone to police after his daughter accused Newland of 'ongoing domestic violence'.  

Mr Best, who is now at the helm of a £200m business, was born into poverty but said he had a happy childhood. He is pictured as a child with his mother and father

But prosecutor Simon Shannon said Mr Best decided instead to leave the police station without making a complaint, believing the only way to 'sort out ongoing tensions' between both families was to accept his son-in-law's offer of a fight.

The court was told how the entrepreneur then drove his Mercedes to Piccolino's in Virginia Water, Surrey, at around 5pm, along with his father, who was driving a Ford Transit. 

As they arrived at the car park, they both crashed into Newland's mother's parked Peugeot, the court heard.

Mr Shannon said a Piccolino's worker then saw Mr Best repeatedly punch Newland - who was wearing a ski mask - in the face through the window of his car.

But he removed himself from the situation when he saw the weapon.  

Four decades on, Mr Best owns more than 40 luxury trailer parks across England, Wales and Scotland as part of a business - Wyldecrest Parks - worth more than £200 million. One of the sites Badgers Retreat Park (pictured), in Richmond, North Yorkshire, is set in 26 acres of land

Mr Shannon told the court: 'He (the worker) somehow got dragged into the vehicle with Mr Best and saw the defendant retrieve from the glovebox a machete and decided then to back off from the situation.

'Newland then started to wave the machete around inside the vehicle and Mr Best tried to grab it, and did, and that caused a deep cut to his hand.'

He then got out of the car and 'brandished' the machete around the car park, the court heard. 

Newland suffered a fractured wrist during the 'melee' after he was struck with a metal pole. He was arrested when he flagged down a police officer after fleeing the scene.

Defending, Brian Stork said Newland had only purchased the machete earlier that day and had gone to the Italian restaurant 'to make peace'.

'When he was attacked the defendant picked it [the machete] up, and he shouldn't have done that,' he said.

'It was unnecessary and disproportionate to arm himself in that way.'

He added: 'His wish is to be allowed for them [him and his wife] to get on with their lives together. Sadly it was only three weeks into their marriage before this incident, which he regrets. He regrets the fact his father-in-law was injured.'

Sentencing, Judge Stewart said: 'It all starts of course, from your point of view, that you had a machete in your car, which is a very dangerous weapon, without a proper excuse, and that is a very serious matter.

'Bladed articles, knives, things like that, blight the courts with very serious crimes - sometimes homicides.'

He said the people who appear in court for carrying bladed weapons without a necessary excuse have to be dealt with seriously.

Newland will serve the remainder of his sentence on licence when he is released and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £140. No order for costs or compensation was made.  

Born on the roadside in Leicester into a Romany gipsy family, Mr Best left school at 12, with poor reading and writing skills.

He then travelled around the country being home-schooled by his illiterate parents, living a happy but poverty-stricken life.

Four decades on, Mr Best owns more than 40 luxury trailer parks across England, Wales and Scotland as part of a business - Wyldecrest Parks - worth more than £200 million.

As well as his sprawling £12m Herfordshire estate which boasts a helicopter pad, his property empire includes a flat in Mayfair, a house in upmarket Hampstead and a farm in Potters Bar.

His numerous garages are home to seven cars, including a Rolls Royce convertible, two Porsches, a convertible Ferrari California T, a M4 BMW, a Mercedes CLS class and a Golf.