Drug Supply Deal Turns Brutal Near Tideway
Lewis Barovbe and Stephen Gillard unleashed a savage assault on a man last year after a stash of crack cocaine was dumped at his home near the Tideway. Panicked, the victim flushed the Class A drugs down the toilet – sparking a violent backlash from the dealers using his address to stash supplies.
£1,000 Demand Ends in Horror Attack
On 4 July 2022, Barovbe and Gillard stormed the victim’s property demanding £1,000. Barovbe kicked the man multiple times before stabbing him in the side of the head with scissors. Just three days later, the duo returned. Barovbe smashed a mirror over the man’s head and stabbed him with broken glass shards, leaving the victim bleeding and battered.
Victim Forced to Clean Up Blood After Brutal Beating
The victim tried crawling to his door for help but Gillard dragged him back inside. The attackers forced him to bleach the bloodstains and bag up the shattered mirror. Gillard dumped the evidence in a neighbouring garden.
Justice Served: Jail for ‘Torture’ Assaults
Police were tipped off after a member of the public spotted blood stains outside the home. Officers found the injured man, and the attackers’ fingerprints were recovered. Barovbe, 26, of no fixed address, and Gillard, 33, from Rochester, were arrested on 11 July.
At Maidstone Crown Court, Barovbe pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent, and Gillard admitted causing grievous bodily harm. Sentenced on 7 July 2023, Judge Julian Smith described the ordeal as “prolonged, amounting almost to torture.” Barovbe was handed eight years in prison, while Gillard received two years and three months. Both face restraining orders upon release.
PC Ellis Langford, North Division CID, said: “Barovbe and Gillard used fear to coerce a vulnerable victim into letting them use his home. When things went wrong, these violent bullies launched appalling assaults on a man who couldn’t defend himself.”
“Thanks to a vigilant member of the public who spotted blood stains, police located the victim quickly and got him urgent care. The evidence was clear and these criminals now face the consequences of their brutal actions.”
