Four men have been jailed after a violent confrontation at Heathrow Airport saw CS gas released, leaving passengers coughing, struggling to breathe and, in some cases, vomiting blood.
Anton Clarke-Butcher, 25, Tyrone Richards, 31, Omoneke Whyte, 31, and Denzel Eduardo, 29, admitted affray at Isleworth Crown Court following the incident, which injured 21 people.
The incident happened on 7 December when three members of the group, who were wearing face coverings and dark clothing, entered a lift in an airport car park where CS spray was released.
Two women and two men who had just arrived on a flight from Johannesburg were inside the lift. The group were subsequently followed and their suitcases stolen.
The CS gas escaped from the lift and spread through the entrance to Terminal 3, affecting passengers and workers, including people at a nearby Caffè Nero.
A barista began coughing and vomiting blood, while other victims reported dizziness and difficulty breathing. Several people required hospital treatment. Terminal 3 was closed following the incident, causing widespread disruption.
One mother who had arrived from South Africa with her 14-month-old son told the court her child began coughing.
She said: “I was immediately afraid for my baby’s safety and my own safety.”
Another witness described seeing between 20 and 30 people coughing and said he was struggling to breathe.
Four men jailed
Sentencing the group, Judge Kwame Inyundo said: “Individuals were targeted by you as a group and the violence used in the incident was serious and sustained.”
Richards was jailed for 27 months, while Whyte and Eduardo were each sentenced to 23 months in prison.
Clarke-Butcher was jailed for 21 months.
Prosecutor Gary Rutter told the court that members of the public had been left “coughing, vomiting, and some vomited blood”.
Richards was arrested while still at Heathrow Airport. The other three men were subsequently identified and arrested separately.
