Axe attackers almost hack off victim's hand in horror petrol station raid

Gang allegedly launched vicious ambush as revenge for sawn-off shotgun attack.

TWO men who hacked a man’s hand off with an axe in front of terrified shoppers during a revenge attack have been jailed for nine years. Shocking footage shows four masked men burst into the Sainsbury’s petrol garage and launch their vicious assault on Barrington Depass, 34, who was chased into the shop.

One of the assailants raises his axe before raining down a blow on his victim

 Two of the men - Mohammed Khan, 26, and Shabaz Ahmed, 28 - were identified after being unmasked during the vicious attack and admitted grievous bodily harm after leaving Depass needing his hand reattached.

The assault left the Depass needing 16 hours of surgery to reattach his hand

The ambush, which took place in Bradford in October, came only three days after a sawn-off shotgun was fired at Khan’s home and blamed on Depass by the gang. Bradford Crown Court was told how the victim was driving with his girlfriend when he realised his Audi was being followed.

Depass was chased into the garage where the attack took place

He instructed her to drive to a public place in order to ward off his pursuers. But when Depass fled into the garage, the men launched their vicious attack. Terrified shoppers heard one of the gang shout “Finish him off” as he was hacked with an axe and pick axe handle.

Depass was left with a fractured skull, broken leg, deep cuts all over his body, and an almost completely severed left hand – which required 16 hours of surgery to reattach. Sentencing the Bradford pair yesterday, Judge Peter Benson said the victim was lucky to have survived.

He said: “All this was done in a busy shopping area of Bradford and to the terror of those that witnessed it, including the poor man who was manning the kiosk. “It's a miracle that he survived such a prolonged, sustained and wicked attack.”