Four men have been sentenced to prison following an incident in which tear gas was deployed at Heathrow Airport last December, leading to injuries and the theft of suitcases. The event caused a lockdown of Terminal 3 for several hours.

According to court proceedings at Isleworth Crown Court, the group released CS spray—a form of tear gas—within a lift leading to the airport’s car park. Following this, one of the victims, a woman, was sprayed in the face and then followed to a taxi rank where both she and another woman had their suitcases stolen. The luggage was never recovered.

During the incident, individuals in a nearby Caffè Nero were affected, with at least one employee, a barista, taken to hospital after vomiting blood. Passengers at the terminal described the situation as “terrifying.”

Judge Kwame Inyundo, presiding over the case, emphasized the offenders’ focused intent on obtaining the suitcases and characterized the violence as “serious and sustained.” The four defendants had previously entered guilty pleas to affray.

Tyrone Richards, 31, received a 27-month prison sentence. Omoneke Whyte, 31, and Denzel Eduardo, 29, were sentenced to 23 months each, while Anton Clarke-Butcher, 25, was handed a 21-month term. All four men will serve their sentences following the conclusion of the case.