Four individuals have confessed to using a CS spray at Heathrow Airport, resulting in 21 individuals requiring medical attention. Tyrone Richards, 31, Anton Clarke-Butcher, 25, Omoneke Whyte, 30, and Denzel Eduardo, 28, all admitted to engaging in affray at Isleworth Crown Court following the incident on December 7 last year.
Emergency medical personnel attended to 21 individuals who were exposed to the harmful substance in a multi-storey car park at terminal three of the west London airport. Five of the affected individuals were subsequently transported to a hospital, as reported by the London Ambulance Service.
CS spray, a synthetic chemical utilized by UK law enforcement to temporarily disable individuals akin to pepper spray, was the substance used during the altercation. Prosecutor Mark Trafford KC informed the court that the defendants discharged the CS gas both inside and outside the airport, leading to the theft of two suitcases from the victims.
Judge Kwame Inyundo acknowledged that the incident caused harm to both the victims and the general public, impacting the airport’s operations at the time. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that armed officers responded to the scene, ruling out terrorism as the motive behind the incident.
Following the episode, passengers departing from or arriving at the airport experienced disruptions, including delays to shuttle services and trains. According to the UK Health Security Agency, CS gas can induce a burning sensation in the eyes, chest tightness, coughing, and sneezing, and is sometimes known as tear gas. The sentencing for the four defendants is scheduled for September 11 at the same court.
