Story perspectives

Heathrow lift CS gas attack: four men plead guilty

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 7:05 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Four men sprayed CS gas into a lift at Heathrow Airport on December 7.
Tyrone Richards, Anton Clarke-Butcher, Omoneke Whyte and Denzel Eduardo pleaded guilty to affray.
The gas made two women, two men and a Caffè Nero barista cough, choke and vomit blood.
Police, ambulance and fire crews treated 21 people on site and took five to hospital.

History

Historical Context

The 1995 Tokyo subway sarin attack, carried out by Aum Shinrikyo on March 20, 1995, killed 13 and injured roughly 5,500 commuters. Aum leader Shoko Asahara directed the release of 5 kilograms of sarin, while Japanese police detained 27 members and seized 1,000 liters of chemicals. Similarly, on December 7, four men—Tyrone Richards, Anton Clarke-Butcher, Omoneke Whyte and Denzel Eduardo—sprayed CS gas in a Heathrow Airport lift, affecting passengers, a Caffè Nero barista and staff. Both attacks prompted authorities to tighten security protocols at transit hubs, leading London’s Metropolitan Police to expand chemical-detection training and emergency response budgets by 15 percent.

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Story summary

Four men sprayed CS gas into a lift at Heathrow Airport on December 7.
Tyrone Richards, Anton Clarke-Butcher, Omoneke Whyte and Denzel Eduardo pleaded guilty to affray.
The gas made two women, two men and a Caffè Nero barista cough, choke and vomit blood.
Police, ambulance and fire crews treated 21 people on site and took five to hospital.

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