From baby-faced teens to hardened machete-wielding criminals: The feral brothers who provide depressing proof that Asbos always were a waste of time
- Tyler, Shamen and Brandon Williams arrested for two machete attacks in 2021
- In 2003, trio received anti-social behaviour orders for their crimewave in Kent
Scowling into the camera, these three brothers have been perfecting their defiant poses for decades – even in police mugshots.
Tyler, Shamen and Brandon Williams were arrested for two violent attacks involving machetes in just one night in 2021, carried out purely ‘for sport’.
But the brothers’ reign of terror stretches right back to 2003, when Tyler and Shamen, then baby-faced 13 and ten-year-olds, were named and shamed by Kent Police after becoming some of the youngest recipients of Asbos (anti-social behaviour orders) – for generating their own crimewave in Kent.
Younger brother Brandon soon joined the criminal fraternity, with all three since racking up a long list of offences and jail terms, ranging from armed assaults and deliberate dog maulings to burglary and shoplifting.
Their latest spree, for which they have been jailed for a total of 27 years, will stoke the debate over ‘slaps on the wrist’ for offenders.
These three brothers -Shamen, Tyler and Brandon Williams (pictured left to right) have been perfecting their defiant poses for decades
Tyler (pictured), Shamen and Brandon Williams were arrested for two violent attacks involving machetes in just one night in 2021, carried out purely ‘for sport’
But the brothers’ reign of terror stretches right back to 2003, when Tyler and Shamen (pictured), then baby-faced 13 and ten-year-olds, were named and shamed by Kent Police after becoming some of the youngest recipients of Asbos (anti-social behaviour orders) – for generating their own crimewave in Kent
Younger brother Brandon (pictured) soon joined the criminal fraternity, with all three since racking up a long list of offences and jail terms, ranging from armed assaults and deliberate dog maulings to burglary and shoplifting
Asbos – designed to prevent specific behaviour with the threat of criminal sanctions for breaches –were shelved in 2014 and replaced by civil injunctions and criminal behaviour orders (CBOs).
But critics say they all offer ‘soft’ justice which encourages re-offending.
Indeed, back in 2018, after two of the brothers were jailed for setting their pit bulls on three victims, a neighbour said: ‘The orders were nothing but a badge of honour and actually seemed to spur them on to commit even more crime.’
The new jail terms for Tyler, 33, Shamen, 30, and Brandon, 24, were imposed after they embarked on an hour-long spree of ‘random and unprovoked’ attacks on March 4, 2021.
A woman parked near a shop in Gillingham, Kent, was assaulted by Shamen, suffering injuries to her face and head, while her windscreen was smashed by Tyler, who also chased a man down the street with a machete.
Just over an hour later in Chatham, three men were attacked by Shamen, now wielding the machete, leaving two in hospital – one with wounds to his face, shoulder and back.
Tyler – who describes himself as a ‘full-time scumbag’ on his Facebook profile – egged on his brother, shouting: ‘Go on, do him.’
The eldest sibling, from Gillingham, was sentenced to 13 years at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday after he was convicted of affray, criminal damage, possessing a bladed article, wounding with intent and possessing cocaine with intent to supply.
Shamen, of Rochester, also received 13 years for offences including affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage.
Brandon, of Folkestone, was jailed for 18 months in December after admitting two counts of affray for his role in the attacks – but is already back on the streets due to time spent on remand.
The crimes were committed while the brothers were on licence for custodial sentences handed down in 2018, prompting Judge Robert Lazarus to warn Tyler and Shamen they faced life sentences if convicted of similar offences in future.
Tyler Williams and Shamen Williams were just baby-faced 13 and 10-year-olds when Kent Police took their first mugshots and ‘named and shamed’ them for their unruly behaviour
Tyler – who describes himself as a ‘full-time scumbag’ on his Facebook profile – egged on his brother, shouting: ‘Go on, do him.’ He was sentenced to 13 years at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday. Shamen, of Rochester, also received 13 years for offences including affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage
Bringing them to justice was hampered by their unruly and disruptive behaviour during court hearings.
They refused to leave prison, failed to keep appointments with the probation service and Shamen even threatened his own barrister on one occasion, warning he would ‘t**t [him] if he got a heavy sentence’.
Sentencing the older brothers via prison video link, Judge Lazarus said: ‘No motive for the violence has been identified.
Although the sport-like bragging came from Shamen, I am left to conclude that Tyler too was engaged in violence for fun or sport.’
The feral brothers first came to prominence in 2003 when Tyler and Shamen inflicted ‘misery’ in Folkestone and received Asbos banning them from swearing or abusing and making obscene gestures.
But despite national publicity, the trio continued their crimewave over the next 18 years.
Asbos were introduced by Labour in 1998 in a high-profile crackdown on youth disorder. But a 2012 survey found just eight per cent of Britons thought they had helped cut offending.
Rory Geoghegan, founder of the Public Safety Foundation and a former No10 adviser on crime, yesterday warned: ‘The problem is there are not significant consequences if they are breached.
‘If you are soft on criminals then, unsurprisingly, they continue.’
Deterrent? How terrible trio’s crimewave continued…
Shamen Williams
April 2003: Asbo banning swearing, abusing and making obscene gestures to people following trio’s crimewave in Folkestone.
October 2010: Attempted robbery. Jailed for three-and-a-half years.
August 2012: Affray – attack with bar on stranger, assisted by father. Jailed 15 months.
June 2014: Robbery – threatened to stab man after stealing bike. Jailed 18 months.
November 2017: Burglary and unlawful wounding – attacked a homeowner with claw hammer, assisted by Brandon.
Jailed three years.
Tyler Williams
April 2003: Asbo banning the same offensive seafront behaviour after the brothers ran amok in Folkestone.
December 28, 2016: Unlawful wounding – set a pit bull on stranger, assisted by Brandon.
December 28, 2016: Unlawful wounding – set two dogs on man at bus stop. Later same evening, hit man with rounders bat and set pit bulls on him, assisted by Brandon.
December 31, 2016: Unlawful wounding – dog was set on woman who suffered a deep arm wound.
April to June 2017: Seven shoplifting counts.
August 2017: Domestic burglary.
Jailed six years and eight-and-a-half months for the 2016-2017 offences.
2020: Assaulting a prison guard.
Brandon Williams
December 31, 2016: Two counts of unlawful wounding – he set a pit bull on two strangers, assisted by Tyler.
November 21, 2017: Violent burglary – he hit a homeowner with a claw hammer, assisted by Shamen.
Jailed for four years and six months.
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