HARROW: 'It’s a huge victory '

11:27am Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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A policeman has thanked the witnesses who overcame their fear to testify against members of a Tamil gang who tried to behead a man.

Around 25 men, from Newham in East London, mobbed six members of a rival Wembley gang in Braemar Avenue in August 2006.

The group, from Newham in East London, attacked Arulmurugan Sebamalai with samurai swords, leaving his hand hanging, half severed, from his arm.

After a court hearing involving 103 prosecution witnesses, 2,800 pages of evidence and 300 exhibits, seven East London gang members were finally jailed last Friday.

Detective Inspector Andy Chalmers, who brought the thugs to justice, said: "It's a huge victory and I really would like to get out as strong a message as possible to the Tamil community that we can prosecute these people."

The victim and five of his friends were driving to play cricket in One Tree Hill when 25 gang members, in five cars, tracked them down in Braemer Avenue and launched a premeditated attack, throwing missiles at their white Suzuki Swift.

The six got out and armed themselves with cricket bats and stumps.

But two men, nicknamed "Kiruba" and "Psycho," took samurai swords from the boot of their green BMW and tried to cut Mr Sebamalai's head off.

The 21-year-old, who was knocked to the ground when a bottle hit his head, put his arm up in an effort to defend himself but the blade sliced through his wrist leaving his hand dangling from his arm.

The assault only stopped when police, driving back from Notting Hill Carnival, intervened, sending the attackers scattering in all directions, including over garden walls and into nearby sheds.

The attack was so brutal that, when residents called police, the screams of the victims were clearly audible on the other end of the line.

DI Andy Chalmers, who brought the thugs to justice, said: "When the police arrived it was just a huge mêlée of people running around fighting in the street and they just grabbed whoever they could, including the vicitms."

"Psycho" was arrested at the scene, while "Kiruba" fled across One Tree Hill and hid beside a stranger's house.

He was arrested after the resident flagged down a passing police car.

Seven gang members were jailed for a total of 63-and-a-half years by a judge at the Old Bailey, on Friday, July 18.

Kirubananathrada "Kiruba" Gunaratnam, 32, and Senthurrajh "Psycho" Thavapalasingham, 21, were both given life and recommended to serve at least 12 years.

DI Chalmers, who led the investigation, said: "The defendants thought they were above the law - their conviction and lengthy sentence for this pre-planned and brutal attack proves they were not."

Sabesan Sivaneswaran, 20, Aramugan Paratheeban, 24, Edward Jeganathan, 26, Selvarajah Mayuran, 28, and Santosh Panthaplavil-Sasidharan, 26, were also jailed.