Three individuals have pleaded not guilty to accusations of targeting women with CS spray during a robbery at Heathrow Airport, which resulted in over 20 individuals requiring medical attention. Tyrone Richards, aged 31, Anton Clarke-Butcher, aged 24, and Omoneke Whyte, aged 30, are alleged to have used the noxious spray to steal two suitcases from separate women. They are facing charges of robbery, administering a harmful substance, and affray following the incident that occurred on December 7 of the previous year.
After the assault, the Metropolitan Police reported that multiple individuals, including five who were hospitalized but later released, were impacted by the substance. Ambulance teams provided treatment to 21 people, including a young child, who were exposed to the noxious spray in a parking facility at Terminal 3 of the airport.
CS spray, a synthetic chemical utilized by UK law enforcement for temporary immobilization, was employed by the trio during the robbery. The suspects are scheduled to stand trial at Isleworth Crown Court on June 29. Richards and Clarke-Butcher had previously appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court to confirm their personal information.
During the court appearance, prosecutor Rene De Silva presented identical information for each defendant, emphasizing their alleged involvement in the airport incident. De Silva stated that the individuals, in collaboration with others, utilized CS spray to carry out the robbery, which was suspected to have gang affiliations.