East London News A Force for the community…
TWO BROTHERS from Dagenham are starting long prison sentences after being found guilty of stabbing a man outside a pub in Rainham after a petty dispute.
The offences arose out of an incident at the Albion pub in Rainham shortly after midnight on Saturday, 27th January. Louis Phillips pushed a woman over – and a group of men challenged him about this. Louis then rang his brother Connor. A 24 year old man, who had been part of the group, then left the pub. Louis followed him and hit him with a belt and stabbed him twice in the side of his body.
Connor Phillips then arrived, having driven to the scene in a white van, and stabbed the victim twice in the shoulder. The brothers then drove off in the van. It was later found burned out in Castle Avenue, Rainham.
The brothers were arrested near a month after the event on suspicion of committing Grievous Bodily Harm with intent. They were charged with Section 18 wounding, affray and possession of an offensive weapon shortly afterwards. They denied these offences and were convicted after a trial lasting almost two weeks at Snaresbrook Crown Court in July. They returned to court last month and were sentenced as follows:
Louis Phillips, 20, of Hardie Road, Dagenham, twelve years;
Connor Phillips, 22, of Hardie Road, Dagenham, 16 years (with an order that he serve a minimum of ten years and spend two years on licence).
Detective Inspector Jason Prendergast of East Area Command Unit said, “These brothers carried out a senseless and brutal attack on the victim over what on the face of it appears to have been a minor dispute. They decided that they would use a knife to settle the dispute, causing significant injuries to the victim.
“They have been rightly described as dangerous individuals and the sentences handed down by the court reflect the nature of the offence and the complete disregard for the victim. We will continue our work to remove those people from the community who take the decision to carry knives.”
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