Seven members of a London gang were jailed for a total of 63 years yesterday for trying to behead a rival man.
Thavapalasingham and Kirubananantharasa Gunaratnam, 32 were sentenced to a minimum of 12 years with no chance of parole before that time.
Factory worker Sabesan Sivaneswaran, 19, jobless Santosh Panthaplavil Sasidharan, 24, salesman Selvarajah Mayuran, 28, student Arumugan Paratheeban, 24, and salesman Edward Jaganathan, 26, were given sentences ranging from three years to life.
Victim Arulmurugan Sebamalai, 23, was left with his wrist hnging from his arm after the bloody and savage attack in Wembley, north west London. He and other members of a gang were set upon as they set out to play cricket.
The sentences comes at a time when a survey finds that Britain is the most violent country in the Western World.
Lethal ... Detective Inspector Andy Chalmers shows gang's weapons, including sword
63 years for samurai sword mob
By ANTHONY FRANCE
Crime Reporter
Published: 19 Jul 2008
The Sun
SEVEN members of a gang were jailed for a total of 63 years yesterday for a samurai sword attack in which they tried to hack off a rival’s head.
Cops seized a terrifying arsenal of knives, baseball bats and swords, including the blood-stained samurai blade, from the mob led by a thug dubbed “Psycho”.
Victim Arulmurugan Sebamalai, 23, was left with his hand hanging from his wrist after being ambushed by 25 of East London’s East Ham Boys.
He and members of a Tamil gang known as DMX, were set on in Wembley, North West London, with swords and pick-axe handles studded with bolts as they set off to play a game of cricket.
The Old Bailey jury heard that the mob shouted: “Slash him, Psycho, kill him,” as encouragement to leader Senthurrajah Thavapalasingham, 21.
Sliced
Mr Sebamalai grabbed a cricket bat and lifted it to shield his head — but the razor-sharp 3ft sword sliced through his left forearm, exposing the bone.
He told police: “Psycho was armed with a samurai sword. He was holding it in a raised position and running towards us.”
After police crushed the mainly Sri Lankan Tamil gang by nicking key members or placing them on Asbos, some crimes in the London borough of Newham nosedived by 80 per cent. Anti-social behaviour fell by half and extortion of shop owners virtually halted.
Detective Inspector Andy Chalmers, who led the inquiry, said: “They thought they were above the law. The fact that they have been removed from the Tamil community and cannot taint and intimidate the law-abiding majority can only be good.”
Cashier Thavapalasingham and jobless Kirubananantharasa Gunaratnam, 32, were convicted of attempted murder and violent disorder. They got life sentences with a minimum term of 12 years.
Factory worker Sabesan Sivaneswaran, 19, jobless Santosh Panthaplavil Sasidharan, 24, salesman Selvarajah Mayuran, 28, student Arumugan Paratheeban, 24, and salesman Edward Jaganathan, 26, were convicted of crimes of violence after a three-month trial.
They got sentences ranging from life to three years. All seven had denied their parts in the attack. Judge Richard Hawkins QC told them: “It was a pre-planned attack with dangerous weapons to inflict grave injuries. Gang warfare on the streets of London will not be tolerated.”
thesun.co.uk
Thavapalasingham and Kirubananantharasa Gunaratnam, 32 were sentenced to a minimum of 12 years with no chance of parole before that time.
Factory worker Sabesan Sivaneswaran, 19, jobless Santosh Panthaplavil Sasidharan, 24, salesman Selvarajah Mayuran, 28, student Arumugan Paratheeban, 24, and salesman Edward Jaganathan, 26, were given sentences ranging from three years to life.
Victim Arulmurugan Sebamalai, 23, was left with his wrist hnging from his arm after the bloody and savage attack in Wembley, north west London. He and other members of a gang were set upon as they set out to play cricket.
The sentences comes at a time when a survey finds that Britain is the most violent country in the Western World.
Lethal ... Detective Inspector Andy Chalmers shows gang's weapons, including sword
63 years for samurai sword mob
By ANTHONY FRANCE
Crime Reporter
Published: 19 Jul 2008
The Sun
SEVEN members of a gang were jailed for a total of 63 years yesterday for a samurai sword attack in which they tried to hack off a rival’s head.
Cops seized a terrifying arsenal of knives, baseball bats and swords, including the blood-stained samurai blade, from the mob led by a thug dubbed “Psycho”.
Victim Arulmurugan Sebamalai, 23, was left with his hand hanging from his wrist after being ambushed by 25 of East London’s East Ham Boys.
He and members of a Tamil gang known as DMX, were set on in Wembley, North West London, with swords and pick-axe handles studded with bolts as they set off to play a game of cricket.
The Old Bailey jury heard that the mob shouted: “Slash him, Psycho, kill him,” as encouragement to leader Senthurrajah Thavapalasingham, 21.
Sliced
Mr Sebamalai grabbed a cricket bat and lifted it to shield his head — but the razor-sharp 3ft sword sliced through his left forearm, exposing the bone.
He told police: “Psycho was armed with a samurai sword. He was holding it in a raised position and running towards us.”
After police crushed the mainly Sri Lankan Tamil gang by nicking key members or placing them on Asbos, some crimes in the London borough of Newham nosedived by 80 per cent. Anti-social behaviour fell by half and extortion of shop owners virtually halted.
Detective Inspector Andy Chalmers, who led the inquiry, said: “They thought they were above the law. The fact that they have been removed from the Tamil community and cannot taint and intimidate the law-abiding majority can only be good.”
Cashier Thavapalasingham and jobless Kirubananantharasa Gunaratnam, 32, were convicted of attempted murder and violent disorder. They got life sentences with a minimum term of 12 years.
Factory worker Sabesan Sivaneswaran, 19, jobless Santosh Panthaplavil Sasidharan, 24, salesman Selvarajah Mayuran, 28, student Arumugan Paratheeban, 24, and salesman Edward Jaganathan, 26, were convicted of crimes of violence after a three-month trial.
They got sentences ranging from life to three years. All seven had denied their parts in the attack. Judge Richard Hawkins QC told them: “It was a pre-planned attack with dangerous weapons to inflict grave injuries. Gang warfare on the streets of London will not be tolerated.”
thesun.co.uk