Teenage terror twins attacked police officer at Travelodge

Leon and Lewis Bayat had overstayed their booking at a Travelodge and staff found camping stoves, evidence of smoking and a sock covering the smoke alarm when they checked their room last April.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the brothers had been out at the time of the inspection but were told they would have to leave and were no longer welcome at any Travelodge when they got back.

Prosecutor Liam O'Brien said the twins left but then tried to book into another building of the hotel chain, across the A1 at Washington, and were told they could not stay there.

Mr O'Brien said: "They took exception to that and began to behave arrogant and aggressive."

The court heard two police officers attended and the identical brothers complained their treatment was "completely unfair and unreasonable", while becoming increasingly aggressive and eventually lashing out.

Mr O'Brien told the court: "Matters really began to spiral. When asked to give their names they refused to do so.

"It was at that point, when they refused to leave or give names, an officer took the view he would have to arrest them.

"Leon became physically aggressive, refused to allow the officer to place handcuffs on him and effectively began wrestling and fighting with him.

"Lewis also behaved aggressively although he wasn't as aggressive and violent as his brother.

"At the height of the matters, Leon forcefully and deliberately pressed one of his fingers into the officer's eye and caused considerable pain and put him in quite a bit of fear about what was going to happen.

"This was a chaotic situation which spiralled out of control quickly. The two police offers were unable really to control the two defendants because of their physical strength."

The court heard two members of the public stepped in and helped the officers get the twins under control.

In an impact statement, the attacked officer said: "They were hell bent on violence to a level I have never seen before.

"I was terrified I was going to lose an eye at one point."

The officer said he feared he could have been caused catastrophic injury that could have changed his life completely.

He added: "I was assaulted by two males, it consisted of a flurry of punches to my face and back of my head, as well as a lot of scratching."

The court heard the officer was taken to hospital after the attack and had a scratch to his eye that required drops.

The twins, who are both 19 and of no fixed address both admitted assault.

They also pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation in relation to a Facebook phone scam in January 2023.

Mr O'Brien said the brothers had invested "time, effort and money" in the fraud, where they advertised phones for sale over Facebook market place using a fake profile.

Three people paid either hundreds of pounds in cash or traded in their own high value handset in exchange for an iPhone 16 pro max, which all turned out to be fake.

Police found seven more of the fake phones when the brothers were traced to an address in Peterlee and arrested over the scam.

The court heard Lewis Bayat has convictions for 24 offences, 11 of which are for violence and one for burglary.

Leon Bayat has one previous conviction for the same burglary and two cautions for violence.

Jason Smith, defending Leon, said it is rare to see such a "deprived and horrendous history" as experienced by the brothers and that they are "co-dependent upon each other".

Mr Smith said the siblings require and want support.

Jennifer Coxon, defending Lewis, said: "The brothers are extremely close and have the same personal trauma issues to resolve. They provide each other with support."

Mr Recorder Nathan Moxon sentenced both twins, who have been in custody, to a community order with rehabilitation requirements.