Brutal Pub Brawl Ends in Jail for Ramsgate Thugs
Two violent offenders, Michael Rowe, 26, and Aston Cocks, 28, have finally been locked up after savage attacks in Ramsgate’s King Street back in January 2020. Rowe, from Margate, not only dealt a brutal blow to two innocent victims but was also busted for dealing heroin and cocaine in a separate police crackdown.
Long Sentences for Savage Assaults
At Canterbury Crown Court on 8 December 2021, Rowe copped four and a half years after admitting to causing grievous bodily harm and drug supply. Cocks, originally from Sussex Street, Ramsgate, picked up a two-year sentence after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm. This adds to a three-year stretch he’s already serving.
Out of Control Pub Fight
- Rows broke out outside a pub on King Street on 12 January 2020.
- A woman inside the pub stepped out to calm the pair down – and was punched in the face twice by Cocks, knocking her to the ground.
- A man who came to her aid was also knocked down and repeatedly kicked and punched by Cocks.
- Rowe then charged at the woman, slamming her into a wall. She suffered serious injuries and is still recovering almost two years later.
CCTV Leads to Arrests and Drug Bust
Police identified the attackers after reviewing CCTV footage. Cocks was arrested later that month and Rowe the following month. While awaiting court, Rowe was caught in a separate police raid on 13 October 2021 during Kent Police’s County Lines and Gangs investigation.
A mobile phone found in his bed revealed texts selling heroin and crack cocaine to local users. Rowe was charged with drug supply on the spot.
PC Simon Rolfe, investigating officer, said: “This was a horrific attack on two people who posed no harm to either Rowe or Cocks and were merely trying to quieten things down. The long-term impact on one of the victims has been extremely upsetting for all involved and I hope the fact that these two men are now in jail offers her some sense that justice has been done.”
Detective Constable Karl Shonhard added: “These cases show how those involved in serious violence on our streets are often the same people dealing drugs to local communities. We will not stop disrupting, arresting, and shutting down county lines networks to protect vulnerable people from these violent criminals.”
