A PAIR of brothers who attacked a complete stranger have been ordered to pay compensation to their victim after they were traced by a police appeal on television.
Ellis and Rory Barrow and their friend Barnaby Butt had just been thrown out of the Terrace Club in Exeter Guildhall when they attacked two completely innocent strangers who happened to be walking by.
They left one with a broken jaw and the other with a bruised face before fleeing the scene and returning to their homes in Tiverton at around midnight on December 18, 2021.
The most seriously injured victim had to cancel Christmas and eat his blended turkey through a straw.
The entire attack was caught on CCTV and police were able to trace Butt because he had used a bank card at the Terrace, they only traced the Barrow brothers after a media appeal.
The three men narrowly avoided an immediate prison sentence at Exeter Crown Court today as they were branded as thugs by Judge James Adkin.
Ellis Barrow, aged 32, Rory Barrow, aged 29, and Butt, aged 20, all from Tiverton, all admitted affray and were jailed for 14 months, suspended for two years, curfewed for six months, and ordered to pay £1,200 each to the victim within the next six months.
He said he hoped the compensation would reach the victim before December so “he can have a better Christmas in 2024 than he had in 2021”.
Mr Michael Green, prosecuting, said Rory Barrow started the violence by pushing into one of the two men as they walked past him in the Guildhall Centre and the others went on to punch them and aim kicks and headbutts.
The victim suffered a double fracture to his jaw which is still causing him pain and he is now reluctant to go out in Exeter at night. He needed to buy a blender and could not eat solid food for three months.
Butt was traced after police obtained information from his bank but he refused to give the names of the two brothers, leading to a media appeal in which their photographs were shown on TV bulletins.
Lawyers representing all three men said they have no previous convictions, acted out of character, and are all hard working carpenters or builders with family responsibilities.
The police appeal in June was made by the family of the main victim.
They said in a statement: “We are desperately appealing for information regarding an assault on our cherished family member. Our peaceful and kind son, brother, uncle and grandson was violently attacked, along with his friend, in the Guildhall area of central Exeter.
“Our boy was punched with such force that his jaw was broken in two places.
“There is no backstory here, just two young friends going out for a festive Christmas drink and then being subjected to a senseless attack for no reason while walking home. Both boys are law abiding citizens who have never been involved in any violence in society and are certainly not troublemakers in any way.
“This mindless attack has caused extreme shock and distress to the victims and their families. It is every parent’s nightmare to wake up and learn that a son or daughter is hospitalised and awaiting emergency surgery.
“It is even more horrific when you learn that the events have been intentionally and unnecessarily caused by a complete stranger in an unprovoked attack.
“Unfortunately, our boy will be attempting to enjoy his liquidised Christmas dinner through a straw this year and, for the next six weeks, he will be unable to eat solid food with a knife and fork, as his jaw is forced shut.
“With love and nourishment, he will eventually make a recovery and piece things back together, but with life-changing injuries. He may well be disfigured and have permanent nerve damage which will inevitably cause issues with speech and eating.
“There are many unknowns right now, we are clearly concerned about his future, saddened and shattered in the knowledge of how this act has affected our sweet, kind boy.
“We would also like to take the opportunity to express how grateful we all are to the emergency services at Exeter A&E and the specialist surgeons for the care and expertise applied to his situation.”