Vauxhall: Attack

A man has been jailed after he sprayed a substance believed to be ammonia at clubbers in a 'vile' attack.

Jonathan Lynn, of Worcester Park, doused three young homosexual people outside the Lightbox club with the noxious liquid in south London’s “gay district” Vauxhall.

The 31-year-old previously pleaded guilty to seven offences in relation to the two incidents which took place in the area on June 8.

He also admitted splashing the liquid on a fourth man in the group and a female passer-by before he assaulted another man, who was sprayed with the fluid after Lynn stepped on his foot as he waited in a nightclub queue.

Inner London Crown Court heard some of the victims were left with ulcers in their eyes, mouths as well as psychological problems.

Sentencing Lynn to two years and four months, Recorder David Etherington QC said: "I make this clear, this was a vile, violent, cowardly and disgraceful attack by you, but I do not find it was motivated by dislike or hate of people of homosexual orientation." ...

Evening Standard.

Odd then that the Standard - going on police advice - initially declared it a 'homophobic attack', as did most media. 

It was a reasonable assumption, but just because a gay man gets attacked, it doesn't mean it always has to have been motivated by homophobia.

• Painfully sincere full disclosure: All stories posted from this one to Tuesday September 2nd were written on that day.