Four men have admitted affray following a violent incident at Heathrow Airport in which suspected CS spray affected dozens of passengers and staff and led to five people being taken to hospital. Tyrone Richards, 31, Anton Clarke-Butcher, 25, Omoneke Whyte, 31, and Denzel Eduardo, 29, pleaded guilty to affray at Isleworth Crown Court in June. Details of the incident emerged during their sentencing hearing on Friday, 11 September. The disturbance happened at the Terminal 3 multi-storey car park on 7 December 2025, when the area was busy with passengers arriving at Heathrow and others meeting incoming travellers. The court heard that three of the defendants, wearing face coverings and dark clothing, sprayed a substance believed to be CS spray into a lift shortly after 8am. Inside were two women who had arrived on a flight from Johannesburg and two men who had met them at the airport.
Passengers caught up in spray
The effects spread beyond those directly involved in the confrontation, with members of the public suffering breathing problems, coughing and vomiting. A barista working at a nearby Caffè Nero told the court she began coughing and vomiting blood, saying she had felt fine before becoming suddenly unwell. Another airport worker described feeling dizzy and close to passing out, while a passenger who had arrived from South Africa said her 14-month-old son began coughing. Another witness estimated that between 20 and 30 people were coughing and said he was struggling to breathe. Five people were taken to hospital following the incident.
Suitcases stolen from women
The court heard that the two women who had arrived from Johannesburg later went to the airport’s taxi forecourt, where they were followed and their suitcases were taken. The luggage was never recovered. One of the women was sprayed in the face at close range with CS gas, causing her to cough and choke. The incident resulted in a major emergency response, with armed police deployed and Terminal 3 locked down. Travel was severely disrupted, including shuttle bus and rail services. Richards was arrested while still at Heathrow, while the other three men were subsequently identified and arrested. Prosecutor Gary Rutter told the court that members of the public had been left “coughing, vomiting” and that some had vomited blood. 
Lawyers representing the defendants made mitigation submissions to the court, including disputes over who had discharged the CS spray. The sentencing hearing is continuing.
Originally published by UKNIP.
