Men jailed for their part in "Chaotic, fast moving and dangerous" brawl in Kent

A group of men have been jailed for their part in a "chaotic, fast moving and dangerous" brawl after a grime concert which left one man dead.

The defendants, who had previously pleaded guilty to violent disorder, weresentenced by remote link at Reading Crown Court.

Vasilios Ofogeli, 17, of Hornsey, north London, used a machete to kill AndreBent amid violent scenes in Maidstone, Kent, in August last year. He can benamed after reporting restrictions were lifted. He was found guilty of murder at a Maidstone Crown Court trial in March.

Violent scenes erupted into the streets after grime artist MoStack performed at the Gallery nightclub in Maidstone on August 25, during a warm August Bank Holiday.

A fight broke out among various people who had left the club, who were shown on CCTV to be punching, kicking and hitting each other with belts.

Victims were targeted and kicked while on the ground.

Vasilios Ofogeli, 17, of Hornsey, north London, used a machete to kill Andre Bent amid violent scenes in Maidstone, Kent, in August last year.
Police at the scene in August 2019 Credit: ITV Meridian

Mrs Justice Cutts told the defendants: "The scene outside the nightclub waschaotic, fast moving and dangerous. The level of violence and the number ofpeople involved was extremely frightening for those who were present."

The judge told the defendants they had taken part in "widespread andlarge-scale acts of violence" in an incident which led to serious physicalinjury, fear and distress.

Forensic specialists at the Gallery nightclub in Maidstone Credit: ITV Meridian

  • Ryan Lowe-White, 22, of Hornsey, north London, was sentenced to 20 months in prison.

  • Rheo Lawrence, 29, of Watford, was jailed for 23 months.

  • Yusuf Aweys, 20, of Holly Park Road, New Southgate, north London- who chased a victim and stamped on him and hit him with his belt - was sentenced to to 23 months in a young offenders institution.

  • Nathaniel Small, 22, of Hornsey, was jailed for two years. He jumped and stamped on a victim and kicked another in the head and face.

  • Darien Thompson-Cox, 21, of Hornsey, was sentenced to a total of 26 months imprisonment including 22 months for violent disorder and four months for possession of an offensive weapon, which relates to a different incident after he was stopped by police in December 2018.

  • Mohamed Gelani, 24, of Hornsey, who was seen kicking victims on three occasions, was sentenced to 21 months imprisonment.

L-R: Ryan Lowe-White, Rheo Lawrence, Yusuf Aweys Credit: Kent Police
L-R: Nathaniel Small, Darien Thompson-Cox, Mohamed Gelani Credit: Kent Police

The judge told him: "You were working for the NHS as a ward host at StBartholomew's Hospital caring for patients' non-medical needs. It goes without saying that if you were not in prison for serious offending, you would be much-needed there."