Two brothers launched ‘vicious’ attack on Uber Eats delivery driver after he took too long to drop off their McDonald’s burgers
Two brothers in Chatham, Kent, were sentenced after admitting a violent assault on an Uber Eats delivery driver who they felt had taken too long to deliver their McDonald's order. Charlie Campbell, 21, and Tyler Campbell, 23, attacked courier Stephen Onwuegbule in the early hours of 13 January, punching him repeatedly until he fell to the ground and left him with a split lip and a bloodshot eye. The case highlights the risks faced by gig-economy delivery workers, who can encounter aggression from customers over minor grievances such as late arrivals.
The brothers, who had no previous convictions, both pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and were sentenced together at Medway Magistrates' Court on 27 August. Each received a 12-month community order, with Tyler required to complete 15 rehabilitation sessions and Charlie 20, alongside 300 hours of unpaid work each and £250 compensation to the victim, payable at £20 a month. Magistrates said custody had been considered given the seriousness of the "group attack on one person," but opted for high-level community sentences due to the pre-sentencing report's recommendations, early guilty pleas and the brothers' previous good character; no restrictions were placed on them ordering from Uber Eats again.
- Brothers assaulted an Uber Eats driver over a late McDonald's delivery
- Both admitted ABH and avoided jail, receiving community orders
- Each must do unpaid work and pay the victim £250 compensation
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Two brothers, Charlie and Tyler Campbell, from Chatham in Kent, attacked an Uber Eats delivery driver called Stephen Onwuegbule after deciding he had taken too long to bring them a McDonald's order. The incident happened in the early hours of 13 January and left the driver with facial injuries. It has drawn attention to the wider problem of customers turning on delivery riders and drivers over minor complaints, a risk that gig-economy couriers face fairly regularly.
Uber Eats is one of several apps that let people order food for delivery, with independent couriers picking up and dropping off orders rather than staff employed directly by the restaurant. Delivery times can vary for reasons outside a courier's control, such as traffic or how busy a restaurant's kitchen is, which is often the backdrop to disputes like this one.
Both brothers, who had no previous criminal convictions, admitted the assault and were dealt with by magistrates in Kent. The case matters because it touches on questions the courts often weigh in such cases: how the justice system balances the seriousness of a violent, unprovoked attack against factors like a guilty plea and clean record, and what sentence is appropriate as a result.