TWO brothers have been sentenced for an affray over a row about a shop queue after officers used footage to identify them.
Officers were called to an assault in progress at Chafford Hundred train station shortly after 5pm on Sunday 14 April last year.
Upon officers’ arrival, they found a man had been beaten by two unknown men at the Fleming Road location and his car had been damaged.
Despite officers arriving quickly, the two men had fled the scene.
Initial enquiries located phone footage of the assault, showing the victim being kicked and punched, allowing officers to identify one of the assailants as Matthew Page.
During the investigation, a second man on the footage was identified as James Page.
Both men were voluntarily interviewed in the subsequent weeks, but both provided no comment replies to all questions asked of them.
Charges were authorised after consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.
At Basildon Combined Court on Friday 14 March, the pair were sentenced, after they pleaded guilty to all charges at a hearing at the same court in January this year.
Matthew Page, 26, of Argent Street, Grays, and James Page of Running Well, Runwell, Wickford, had pleaded guilty to affray and both men were sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
In addition, both men were ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 40 rehabilitation days.
Page was also sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months (concurrent), for possession of an offensive weapon.
The court also saw fit to order each defendant to pay £600 compensation to the victim and £500 costs.
PC Thomas Currin, officer in the case, said: “Working quickly at the scene, we secured the evidence we needed to identify those involved in this cowardly attack over ‘queue jumping’.
“This has resulted in guilty pleas, simply because the evidence was compelling and overwhelming, showing how the pair attacked a defenceless man.
“It was a completely over the top reaction that has resulted in a conviction and sanctions for Matthew and James Page.”
The post Chafford Hundred: Pair sentenced over affray at railway station appeared first on Your Thurrock.