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Bouncer at The Grove, Gravesend, Duane Tomlin, jailed for vicious attack on two men

A nightclub bouncer who joined three colleagues in a vicious attack on two men after chasing after them in cars has been jailed for 10 years.

Duane Tomlin had denied any involvement in the beating with weapons, claiming he was not there.

But a jury convicted the 36-year-old, of Crofton Park, south east London, of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Shivan Saeed and violent disorder.

Bouncer Duane Tomlin has been jailed
Bouncer Duane Tomlin has been jailed

The three other doormen at The Grove in Gravesend, Denis Thompson, Alex Jetha and Eduard Osipovs were convicted and jailed last year.

Jetha, 28, of Vicarage Road, Strood, and Thompson, 37, of Malyons Road, Lewisham, south east London, were found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Saeed.

Russian-born Osipovs, 40, of Queen Street, Gravesend, was acquitted of the charge but convicted with Jetha of assault causing actual bodily harm to Sarwar Kadir.

Judge Michael Carroll jailed Jetha, 28, for five years and eight months and Thompson, 37, to six years.

The Grove Nightclub, The Grove, Gravesend.
The Grove Nightclub, The Grove, Gravesend.

But the Court of Appeal ruled the sentences were unduly lenient and increased them both to 10 years.

Osipovs was jailed for 20 months.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Mr Saeed and Mr Kadir had been out with their girlfriends and another friend on November 11 2012.

They arrived at The Grove at 3am. Mr Saeed was the only one not drinking because he was driving the others in his BMW car.

"What happened then was an nasty, entirely unjustified attack" - Prosecutor Mark Seymour

There was a dispute over whether one of them had paid to get in. They were ejected and there was a scuffle outside.

Mr Saeed’s wife claimed she had been assaulted by Jetha. The police were called.

One of the doormen claimed there was a knife in the BMW but nothing was found.

The group left but Mr Saeed and Mr Kadir and the other friend returned in his Vauxhall Astra to get a burger from a van.

It had closed and the woman running it told staff at the club they had returned. Seven doormen left at 4.45am.

Thompson got into his BMW X5 and Osipovs and Jetha got into a Lexus and followed the Astra.

Mr Saeed told the driver to head for the police station but refused because he was disqualified.

The case was heard at Maidstone Crown Court
The case was heard at Maidstone Crown Court

They reached Rose Avenue where the driver stopped and ran off leaving Mr Saeed and Mr Kadir helpless in the car. The bouncers’ cars stopped.

“What happened then was an nasty, entirely unjustified attack,” said prosecutor Mark Seymour.

Using police batons, they smashed the car’s front windows. The victims were dragged out of the car and attacked with weapons including a knife wielded by Jetha.

Mr Saeed needed more than 50 stitches and his ear had to be reattached after being stabbed in the head. Mr Kadir was also injured.

At the previous trial Judge Caroll “wholeheartedly disagreed” that there was a great degree of provocation.

“You were professionals and should have known better,” he told the doormen.


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