SEVEN thugs from New Addington are to be sentenced today for a frenzied attack at a tram stop.
Kieran Hawker, 18, Aaron Henery, 18, Robert Elsey, 19, Dean Riley, 18 and 27-year-old Anthony Patton were part of a 20-strong gang which attacked two teenage boys at King Henry's Drive tram stop on October 1, 2011.
Over a ten minute period the tram the boys were on was bombarded with rocks before the gang attacked them with sticks and socks filled with ballast.
The men, as well as two 17-year-olds who cannot be named for legal reasons, have all pleaded guilty to violent disorder and will be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court today (Monday).
The court has previously heard that after chasing a number of men from Central Parade into a petrol station on Parkway around 7.45pm, the group – armed with sticks and poles – assaulted one of them before fleeing as plain-clothes police officers arrived.
While the officers tended to the victim inside the petrol station, the group focused their attention on three other men, chasing them onto a Croydon-bound tram at nearby King Henry's Drive tram stop.
As the victims boarded the tram, one of the group pulled the emergency door release, preventing the tram from leaving the stop and causing all the doors to stay open.
The tram was repeatedly bombarded with ballast thrown by the 20-strong group, smashing several windows, while Kieran Hawker ran aboard and threw ballast at their victims.
The gang then surged onto the tram and began a frenzied attack on the two teenage boys and another man, kicking and punching them.
They took turns to attack their victims, one of whom was kicked so hard against a glass door that it smashed.
Hearing that police officers were on their way, the group fled and discarded their weapons.
The victims, a 19-year-old man from Thornton Heath, an 18-year-old man from Streatham and a third unidentified man, were given first aid by officers at the scene. Luckily, they were not seriously injured.
The tram sustained £3,400 of damage and had to be taken out of service.
CCTV of the group was circulated and they were quickly arrested after local officers recognised them.
Hawker, of North Downs Road, Henery, of Milne Park East, Elsey, of Godric Crescent, Patton, of no fixed address and Dean Riley, of Cator Crescent, and the two 17-year-olds will be sentenced later today.
Check this website for updates.
