May 23, 2007

The reality of racism - gang escape jail over brutal attack

(click on image to enlarge)
A gang of men who subjected two Polish workers to a “cowardly and vicious” attack before leaving them in a pool of blood have escaped immediate jail sentences.

Norwich Crown Court heard the gang of seven attacked Tadeusz Broniak and Marcin Rapacz after finding them sitting outside the Hog's Head pub in King's Lynn high street. The brutal attack was caught on security cameras and played before the judge who described it as a “ferocious and unprovoked attack on two vulnerable men”.

The victims were repeatedly punched, kicked and spat on and were fortunate to suffer nothing more than cuts and bruises. The footage showed the offenders walking away from the scene, leaving the victims lying on the floor covered in blood.

Speaking after the case, King's Lynn section inspector Colin Williamson said: “This sickening assault took place against a backdrop of drunken aggression. The CCTV footage is shocking.”

Jody Tooke, 25, of Saddlebow Road, King's Lynn; Ben Watson, 20, of Chadwick Square, Lynn; Ben Winchester, 21, of Wisbech Road, Lynn; John Plummley, 22, of Burnham Avenue, King's Lynn; Jack Nesbitt, 20, of Hinchingbrooke Close, South Wootton; Christopher Tibbs, 22, of Saddlebow Road, Lynn all pleaded guilty to violent disorder on November 4 last year.

Liam Wintin, 19, of St Edmundsbury Road, Lynn, was convicted of violent disorder following a trial. Alfie Tooke, 21, of Ouse Avenue, Lynn, who had denied inciting others to use or threaten violence, was cleared by a jury following a trial earlier this month.

The court heard the gang went to the Hog's Head after hearing that the two Polish men had been making it difficult for bar staff and refusing to leave. They were also said to have threatened Alfie Tooke so the gang went to the Hog's Head “to sort out the two Polish men”.

Mr Justice Cooke imposed a year's jail sentence on all the men suspended for two years and ordered them to do a total of 1,280 hours of unpaid work. He said they were all in employment and felt they were all capable of making their way in life as civilised members of society.

But he warned: “Your actions on that night stem from the amount of drink you consumed.”

He said they had acted as “unthinking teenagers” and said: “Stay off drink and think about what you drink.”

The men's counsel said they had all been disgusted by their behaviour. Some members of the gang had written letters of apology to the victims. Benedict Peers, for Tibbs, said: “When he first viewed that recording, he himself was shocked.”

Outside court Insp Williamson pledged that officers would do all they could to stamp out alcohol-fuelled violence. The men's names have been forwarded to the local Pubwatch group to be considered for a town-wide pub ban.

Insp Williamson said: “Alcohol-fuelled violence is not acceptable in this town or any other and a lot of work is being carried out by the police and partner agencies to weed out individuals like this whose lawless behaviour ruins everyone else's night out.”

A new Nightsafe scheme - based on successful operations in Norwich and Yarmouth - has since been launched.

[Watch the video by clicking on the link]

EDP24

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mr Top-left's a bit of a sweetheart isn't he.

Anonymous said...

What absolute fucking scum.

I'm sure this is just the sort of thing Margaret Hodge is complaining about.

These little feckers should've been the first into a nice prison cell. Then the gallows and or a lamp post somewhere.

Antifascist said...

Too damn right. Every one of these bastards should have been banged up at the very least.

If anyone hasn't seen it yet, check out the film on the EDP site. It's worth seeing just to see what these scumbags got away with.

Anonymous said...

This wasn't a racist attack at all. These scumbags would have attacked anybody, regardless of colour or nationality. They were drunk, and feeling strong in numbers, as cowards do, they attacked the first people they came across. It could have been anybody.

I don't know what appalls me more about these lowlifes, the attack itself, or their shameful behaviour outside court as they celebrated not being sent to jail. Utterly disgraceful that such scumbags are allowed to walk the streets.

Anonymous said...

"...the gang went to the Hog's Head 'to sort out the two Polish men'."

Sounds like an attack based on race to me.

Anonymous said...

Fuckin vermin.

Anonymous said...

"Mr Top-left's a bit of a sweetheart isn't he"
Lovely. LOL

Anonymous said...

Mr Top-left's a prime example of the "narrowing gene pool" problem with the whole master race thing.

Anonymous said...

What I like about the UK is that the press publish names and photographs of each criminal. As far as I know Poles I wouldn't be surprised if some polish badasses went to King's Lynn to do justice and have some 'fun'. You know the type: military haircuts and steroid muscles.

Disclaimer: I am not saying that all Poles in the UK are like that.

Unknown said...

@ anonymous:

Funnily enough we had a young Polish man just like that join our team today.

He's a pussycat!

Anonymous said...

Indeed. I do not know many Poles but the ones I know are all highly educated and real gentlemen.

Anonymous said...

every one knows that alfie tooke rang them to come and sort out his problems he is south lynn born and bred have to fight in a group not hard on there own still lives in south lynn opposite his mum what a mummys boy

Anonymous said...

why dont the police ever do anything about these idiots they are scum and now breeding the next generation of idiots they all have to fight in groups and the girlfriends who stay with them are simple i sometimes thing people arent safe to be let out on there own

Anonymous said...

ben watson and liam winton in the court register again they should have gone to prison the law is a joke there kids are going to have such good role models they dont stand a chance

Anonymous said...

people like these should be locked up and throw away the key.most of them use to have nice girlfriends,now they are all with idiot girls who are having their kids or who have all ready got kidsof their own trying to play happy families the only people these lot love is their selves.

Anonymous said...

Alfie tooke is nothing but a lying scumbag, his brother Jodie is no better, his idea of hard is pushing women in clubs, they both deserved to be jailed and lots if people would've been saved tge misery of ever knowing them at all. Junkie, lying, sad little men, who will never be anything more than they are. Women beware.