Murder trial jurors hear how a mum lost her eye following a chemical attack in Jarrow

Andy Foster, 26, had ammonia or a similar corrosive substance thrown in his face on August 20 last year, which stopped his breathing, caused a heart attack, and killed him, it is claimed.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the deadly confrontation was the fourth in a series of similar chemical attacks in Gateshead, South Tyneside, which were linked to drug dealing.

Youssef Wynne, Josh Hawthorn, Kenneth Fawcett and John Wandless all deny murder and charges in connection to the other attacks and are being tried by a jury.

The court heard not all of those who came under attack were necessarily the intended targets.

Prosecutor Mark McKone KC said the first attack happened at an address in South Shields, on August 9, 2023, when Fawcett targeted a man in his home which caused "horrendous burning and stinging" to his eyes and face and required extensive treatment at hospital.

A second man came under similar attack a property in Hebburn on August 12 and needed hospital treatment.

The court heard the deadly attack on Mr Foster happened at just after 11pm on August 20.

Mr McKone said: "The ammonia caused Andrew Foster to have breathing difficulties and cardiac arrest which led to brain damage as oxygen could not get to his brain.

"He died in hospital the following day."

Four days earlier, a woman in Jarrow was sprayed in the face during an attack and as a result her eye needed to be removed.

The woman said she was at home with her husband, who had recently undergone surgery on a broken leg, when two unknown men entered from the rear of the property.

Giving evidence via live video-link, she told jurors one of the males threatened her husband with a hammer.

She said: "I jumped up and I think I said I don't think so and I grabbed the hammer. He said he had a knife as well.

"We were struggling. I was trying to get the hammer off him.

"Then the next thing he squirted something in my face. I didn't know what it was at the time. I just know it hit my lungs.

"He squirted it in my face and it hit my eyes. It felt like my lungs had met each other in the middle of my chest.

"I was instantly blinded in one eye, I couldn't see anything out of it.

"My other eye was sore but I could see blurry out of it.

"I went to the floor, I couldn't breathe properly.

"I think they squirted something else on me because they told me not to get back up."

The woman said one of her dogs was present at the time and she pushed it out of the way.

The men left the property after stealing her husband’s cannabis edibles and the woman was taken to hospital.

She told jurors she didn't recognise the two men but when asked about the defendant Wynne she said she would know him to say hello to.

The court heard she underwent multiple operations to try to save her left cornea but the decision was made to have it removed and replaced with a prosthetic eyeball last December.

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Prosecutors claim Wynne was a drug dealer and the three other men worked under him.

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

Mr McKone said Fawcett was employed as Wynne's "enforcer" and he was present at all four attacks.

Prosecutors say Wandless was recruited later by Fawcett and was present at the final three attacks.

Wynne is also accused of attacking Mr Foster in September last year in a dispute over drugs.

Wynne, 39, of Wuppertal Court, Jarrow, Hawthorn, 23, of Ashfield, Jarrow, Fawcett, 33, of Balkwell Avenue, North Shields and Wandless, 32, of no fixed abode, all deny murder of Mr Foster and robbery of cannabis edibles from his home.

Wynne also denies assault, two charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and one of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Fawcett also denies two charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and one of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Wandless also denies one charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent and one of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The trial continues.