Quartet jailed after an ‘unprovoked’ attack on victims near to station

Thugs punched and kicked trio

FOUR men who attacked an innocent trio after a night out have been jailed.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard the three victims were walking towards the taxi rank outside Portsmouth and Southsea railway station after a night out at The Astoria nightclub in Guildhall Walk.

Out of nowhere, they were attacked by five thugs, who punched and kicked the men to the ground before dispersing, the court heard.

The ‘unprovoked’ attackers were caught ‘clearly’ on CCTV, and were arrested – with four of them jailed on Friday.

Portsmouth men Bobby Allen, Brandon Gibbs and

Connor Speller were jailed alongside Leigh Park man Michael Nicholls who threw the first punch. Isle of Wight teenager Ernie Hider will be sentenced in May.

Prosecuting, Simon Foster said the attack on the trio including victim Luke McGowan was ‘unprovoked’.

He said: ‘Luke McGowan’s recollection is that one came up screaming at him then punched him in the side of the hip. He remembers being dazed. Nicholls struck him in the right side of the face. Speller then hits him from behind and Gibbs punched him in the gut.

‘The camera pans out and you can see them beginning to disperse – the men can be seen lying on the floor.’

Allen threw a single punch, while Hider was seen throwing punches, the court heard.

A victim statement from Mr McGowan was read out in court, revealing how his confidence had been destroyed by the attack and how he felt somehow responsible. In it he said: ‘I still often think about this incident because I don’t know why I was attacked.’

All of the men had previous convictions, ranging from dangerous driving (Nicholls) to battery (Gibbs) and racially-aggravated harassment (Allen).

Sentencing, judge David Melville QC said: ‘This was a sustained attack in a public place, and there was serious violence involved.’

Gibbs was jailed for nine months, Allen for six and

Speller was months.

Nicholls was handed nine months – including three months for breaching a suspended sentence for a previous dangerous driving conviction.

Hider’s sentencing was adjourned to May 7 for a pre-sentence report to be compiled.

Bobby Allen, 19, of Lake Road, Landport; Brandon Gibbs, 23, of Northam Street, Landport; Ernie Hider, 18, of Yaverland Road, Sandown, Isle of Wight; Michael Nicholls, 21, of Cheriton Close, Leigh Park, and Connor Speller, 20 of Copnor Road, in Copnor, all admitted affray over the incident in the early hours of August 21, 2019. handed four

I still often think about this incident because I don’t know why I was attacked. Luke McGowan