Three young men have been locked up for a combined 24 years after terrorising New Year’s Eve revellers in Weston-super-Mare with a savage robbery rampage.
Violent Attack on Revellers and Early Workers
Danius Melgailis, 18, Mohammed Ahmed, 19, and Henry Hathaway, 18, all locals, pleaded guilty at Bristol Crown Court. The trio struck between 4.45am and 7.30am on January 1, cruising the streets in a black Audi A3, targeting men aged 18 to 56 either heading home from celebrations or going to work. They forced victims to hand over phones, ear pods, bank cards, and cash—often using weapons and violence.
Life-Changing Injuries and a Wrecked Car
The vicious assaults left many victims needing hospital treatment. One man suffered horrific, permanent damage, including a punctured lung, broken ribs, a broken eye socket, a serious head injury, and lifelong harm to his right eye. In their frenzy, the gang also destroyed a Mercedes they mistakenly believed belonged to a victim. The damage was so severe that the car was written off by insurers.
Judge Calls It a “Rampage” As Police Praise Tough Sentences
Judge Hart condemned the trio’s “truly appalling violence,” branding the spree a “rampage.” Melgailis was jailed for nine years, Ahmed for eight, and Hathaway for seven—each sent to a young offenders’ institution.
“This case involved several victims who were not only left significantly distressed by the incident, but many were also physically harmed, including one man who suffered life-changing injuries,” said Superintendent Jen Appleford. “I am pleased the court recognised the gravity of the offending. These sentences show violent attacks like this won’t be tolerated. We hope this brings comfort to victims and their families.” “We know incidents like this cause concern across our communities and hope this outcome reassures the public that we take such crimes incredibly seriously.”
