Ammonia attack gang face life sentences after being found guilty of murdering man

A murder gang will be jailed for life after they were convicted of killing a man during a spate of chemical attacks.

Andrew Foster died after he was squirted with ammonia at his home during a series of attacks in Gateshead and South Tyneside which also caused a woman to lose an eye. Newcastle Crown Court heard how Youssef Wynne was a drug dealer and John Wandless, Kenneth Fawcett and Josh Hawthorn worked for him, reports Chronicle Live.

All four were found guilty of all counts they were charged with in court, including murdering and robbing Mr Foster at his home in Wrekenton. Fawcett and Wandless were physically present at the fatal attack and Wynne and Hawthorn were both involved in organising it.

During the trial, Mark McKone KC, prosecuting, told jurors: "On the night of the 20th of August last year, Andrew Foster was at home with his partner when two men entered his home and attacked him by throwing a chemical in his face. As a result, he couldn’t breathe. He suffered a severe respiratory attack, he had a heart attack and died.

"The chemical attack upon Mr Foster was the fourth similar chemical attack in that general area in just 11 days, between 9th and 20th of August. The prosecution say that four separate victims were attacked at their homes in the Gateshead or South Shields areas by ammonia, or a similar corrosive liquid, being thrown or sprayed into their faces.

"Andrew Foster died, one woman lost an eye and two other men needed medical treatment. The prosecution say that the violence was connected to drug dealing.

"The prosecution say that the four defendants were part of a scheme to tax other drug dealers. Taxing is a slang word in the drugs world for dealers stealing drugs from another dealer and, at the same time, scaring off the competition from future drug dealing."

The prosecution do not say that Wynne and Hawthorn were present at any of the four attacks, but Mr McKone said: "The prosecution do say that Wynne was involved in organising all the attacks and that Hawthorn was also involved in organising the fourth and fatal attack. The attacks were carried out, we submit, for the benefit of Wynne and Hawthorn."

Mr McKone added: "The prosecution submit that anyone attacking someone in the face with ammonia must intend to cause at least really serious harm. Those using ammonia to attack others will have seen the suffering of the victim on the earlier occasions.

"The prosecution say that all four defendants were part of a joint enterprise. The defendants formed a joint plan for Fawcett and Wandless to drive to the victim's home at Eighton Terrace, Wrekenton, in Gateshead in order to attack him with ammonia."

The victim's partner saw him holding his face and heard him shouting ‘It’s ammonia, I can’t breathe’ after he had been attacked.

Mr McKone added: "The ammonia caused Andrew Foster to have breathing difficulties and a cardiac arrest which led to brain damage as oxygen could not get to his brain. He died in hospital the following day."

A doctor said that the ammonia triggered an asthma attack and caused cardiac arrest which, in turn, led to a hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury. Therefore, there is a direct link between the ammonia attack and death.

The quartet of killers were also convicted of robbery, relating to the theft of cannabis edibles, after Mr Foster had allegedly been attacked with ammonia. Wynne was also convicted of assaulting Mr Foster 11 months before he died in an alleged quarrel over drugs.

Wynne, Fawcett and Wandless were also convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Nicola Dixon on August 16 of 2023. She lost an eye as a consequence of the alleged attack.

Wynne and Fawcett were also found guilty of attempting to cause GBH with intent on a man on August 9 of last year. The man, who lived in South Shields with his children, was allegedly squirted in the face with ammonia on August 9 by by Fawcett. The prosecution say that Wynne had asked Fawcett to carry out this attack.

Wynne, Fawcett and Wandless were convicted of attempting to cause GBH with intent on another man on August 12, 2023. The victim was at a house in Hebburn when he was allegedly attacked. He was sprayed in the face with ammonia and required hospital treatment due to having difficulty breathing, with his eyes stinging and his lips swollen.

Wandless had pleaded to handling a stolen VW Golf and arson by burning it out after it was allegedly used in three of the incidents. Wynne, 39, of Wuppertal Court, Jarrow, Wandless, 33, of no fixed address, Fawcett, 33, of Balkwell Avenue, North Shields and Hawthorn, 22, of Ashfield, Jarrow, were further remanded in custody and will be sentenced on July 26. They face mandatory life sentences for murder.

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