FOUR violent robbers whose horrifying ammonia attacks left two Dorset men blinded have been handed jail terms totalling 129 years.

Judge John Harrow slammed the "devastating consequences" of their actions and left people in the public gallery in shock after passing sentence at Bournemouth Crown Court.

The London-based gang were found guilty of offences arising out of six separate incidents with two attracting the longest prison sentences.

During a trial the court was told that Reece Watkins, 22, Joe Warne, 21, 20-year-old Dominic Barker and 19-years-old Piers Fox-Havilland, all from London burst into a flat in Palmerston Road in Boscombe on October 16 last year.

They were armed with imitation firearms, a knife and ammonia, stored in Lucozade bottles, when they stormed into the flat and ransacked it.

The crime, said to be drugs-related, led to Watkins throwing ammonia into the face of teenager Matthew Williams, who was visiting the flat at the time.

Judge Harrow told Watkins: "Just for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time you sprayed him in the face with ammonia with devastating effect, leaving him blind in one eye and with very restricted vision in the other."

All four defendants were convicted of conspiracy to rob and possession of imitation firearms to commit an indictable offence and jailed for 12 years and eight years concurrent.Watkins was also convicted of throwing a corrosive substance with intent to injure and jailed for a further 14 years, to run concurrently.

Warne was also jailed for 14 years concurrent for throwing a corrosive substance after the court heard how he squirted ammonia in the face of local man Gary Woolgrove in Somerford Road in Christchurch on November 14. The crime is alleged to have been committed after a dispute over a girlfriend.

Warne and Watkins were convicted, along with Alex Williams, 22, of Masterson Close, Christchurch, of violent disorder after chasing Mr Woolgrove and throwing ammonia around in Purewell in early November and Warne, Watkins and Barker were found guilty of assault in Stour Road, Christchurch in January this year.

Warne was convicted of intimidating a witness, namely Mr Woolgrove, and Barker and Warne were also sentenced for a raid on a Sussex pub during which more than £35,000 was stolen.

Sentences for all offences, some to run concurrent and some consecutive, totalled 129 years with Warne getting 20 years overall, Watkins jailed for 18 years, Barker for 16 years and Fox-Havilland for 12. Williams, who absconded from the trial, received a term of 20 months in his absence.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Halford, of Bournemouth CID, said: “The defendants committed a number of vicious and heinous acts, which left two victims permanently blind in one eye.

Following a lengthy investigation into a host of offences the gang were finally charged and taken to court. I hope the sentences handed out serve as a warning to those thinking of committing such violent and brutal attacks that they will be brought to justice.”

Detectives are also appealing to the public to help locate Alex Williams who failed to appear at court for sentencing. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts should contact police, in confidence, on 101, or call 999 with any current sightings.