Heathrow passengers 'vomited blood' after tear gas incident
Four men pleaded guilty to affray after a substance believed to be CS spray caused distress and hospital treatment at Terminal 3.
Incident → evidence → outcomeDozens of passengers at Heathrow Airport suffered coughing fits, with some vomiting blood, after tear gas was discharged near a Caffè Nero. The incident on December 7 last year led to Terminal 3 being closed for hours, and two women had their suitcases stolen.
Court proceedings
At Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, a sentencing hearing was told that a substance believed to be CS spray was discharged in a car park lift at 8am on December 7. The lift contained two women who had arrived from Johannesburg that morning, along with two men meeting them. The court heard that the defendants, wearing face coverings and dark clothing, were prevented from entering the lift by the group. Gas was emitted when the lift reached the ground floor, affecting people in a nearby Caffè Nero. One barista told the court she was 'scared' as she 'felt fine one minute and then almost instantly unwell', experiencing coughing and vomiting blood.
The two women who arrived from Johannesburg later had their suitcases taken by the defendants at an airport taxi forecourt. These suitcases have not been recovered. CS gas, used by police as tear gas, was sprayed directly into the face of one of the women, causing her to cough and choke. Passengers leaving and travelling to the airport experienced disruption, including delays to shuttle buses and trains, after Terminal 3 was locked down.
A customer service agent described the incident as 'terrifying', reporting feeling dizzy and observing a woman in a wheelchair struggling to breathe. A mother arriving from South Africa stated she was 'immediately afraid for my baby’s safety' after her 14-month-old son began coughing. Another man reported that '20 to 30 people were all coughing' and he was 'struggling to breathe'.
Defendants' pleas and mitigation
Tyrone Richards, 31; Anton Clarke-Butcher, 25; Omoneke Whyte, 31; and Denzel Eduardo, 29, had previously pleaded guilty to affray at Isleworth Crown Court in June. During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors stated they could not 'exactly say what led to this incident', but suggested 'what was going on'. Richards was arrested at the airport, while the other three were identified and arrested later. Lawyers for the defendants presented mitigation, with some expressing remorse and highlighting personal circumstances. The sentencing hearing was continuing.
Questions this report answers
01What happened at Heathrow Airport?
On December 7 last year, a substance believed to be CS spray was discharged in a car park lift at Heathrow Airport. This caused passengers to suffer coughing fits, with some vomiting blood and requiring hospital treatment. Terminal 3 was closed for hours.
02Who was affected by the incident?
Dozens of passengers at Heathrow Airport were affected, including a barista at Caffè Nero who vomited blood. Passengers arriving from Johannesburg also had their suitcases stolen. Disruptions affected travel through Terminal 3.
03What were the consequences for the defendants?
Four men, Tyrone Richards, Anton Clarke-Butcher, Omoneke Whyte, and Denzel Eduardo, pleaded guilty to affray at Isleworth Crown Court. A sentencing hearing took place on Friday, with the court hearing details of the incident and mitigation from the defence.
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