Five men have been handed jail terms totalling 67 years and eight months for their part in ammonia attacks in Dorset that left two men permanently blinded in one eye.
Reece Watkins, 22, Joe Warne, 21, Dominic Barker, 20, Piers Fox-Havilland, 19, all from the London area, and Alex Williams, 22, from Christchurch, were convicted following trial at Bournemouth Crown Court and sentenced on Tuesday (24 November).
Warne was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison, Watkins to 18 years, Barker to 16 years, Fox-Havilland to 12 years and Williams, who failed to appear at court for sentencing, 20 months in prison.
The court was told that Warne, Watkins, Barker and Fox-Havilland stormed into a flat on Palmerston Road, Boscombe, on 18 October 2014 searching for drugs and were armed with weapons and ammonia stored in Lucozade bottles.
Watkins then threw ammonia into the face of a 19-year-old man who had been visiting the flat at the time, leaving him permanently blind in his left eye.
The four men were jailed for 12 years and eight years, to run concurrently, for conspiracy to rob and possession of imitation firearms. Watkins was also jailed for a further 14 years to run concurrently for throwing a corrosive substance with intent to injure.
In early November 2014 Warne, Watkins and Williams confronted two men in Purewell and were found guilty of violent disorder. Warne and Watkins threw ammonia over a man and Williams then pursued the man with a metal pole making threats to kill.
In another incident the court heard that on 14 November 2014 in Somerford Road, Christchurch, Warne threw ammonia in the face of a 20-year-old local man in a dispute over a girlfriend. He was permanently blinded in his left eye.
On 21 October 2014 in London Fox-Havilland was found in possession of several bottles of ammonia and a knife and was convicted on two counts of possessing an offensive weapon.
Watkins and Warne were also convicted of attempted robbery on a student on a train in Christchurch on 10 November 2014. Warne was additionally convicted for intimidating a witness on 23 November 2014 and also an assault on Stour Road in Christchurch on 11 January 2015.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Halford, of Bournemouth CID, said: “The defendants committed a number of vicious and heinous acts, which left two victims permanently blind in one eye.
“Following a lengthy investigation into a host of offences the gang were finally charged and taken to court. I hope the sentences handed out serve as a warning to those thinking of committing such violent and brutal attacks that they will be brought to justice.”
Detectives are also appealing to the public to help locate Alex Williams who failed to appear at court for sentencing. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts should contact police, in confidence, on 101, or call 999 with any current sightings.
NEW INFORMATION ADDED 28 January 2016: Williams was later arrested in Christchurch on 17 January 2016 and appeared in court on 18 January when he was given his 20-month sentence along with a further two months for failing to appear in court.
