Assault Britons return to UK

The brothers were met at the airport by their father Andy Staermose

Two brothers convicted of assaulting a Greek cafe owner in a row over a spilt kebab have returned to the UK.

Christian and Frederick Johnson had an emotional reunion with their father when they arrived at Gatwick Airport in the early hours of Saturday.

The brothers were given one year jail sentences when they appeared in court in Athens on Wednesday but have been freed after lodging appeals.

They said they had decided to come back to England after their grandmother received a threatening phone call at her home in the Greek capital.

The brothers, who emigrated to Greece from Tunbridge Wells in Kent two years ago with their mother and her fiancé, arrived at Gatwick at about 0130 BST.

It has been the most traumatic week of my life Christian Johnson

They will be staying with their father, Andy Staermose, at his home in St Leonards, East Sussex and he greeted them at the airport.

Frederick, 18, said: "It is just unbelievable to be home.

"I am so happy to have made it back in one piece. We had an escort to Athens airport by the embassy.

"It's been like a nightmare. I have spent two happy years in Greece but it has ended like this.

The brothers will be staying with their father at his home in Sussex

"Since our arrest, everything we have done we have been kicked down.

"As we queued to file a complaint against the police, my grandmother received a very nasty threatening call at home in Athens.

"We do not know who made the call but we decided it was not safe for us or our family in Greece if we stayed, so we decided to come home.

"We just did not feel safe in Greece - but we will not give up our case."

Christian, 22, said the argument had begun when he dropped some salad from a kebab while sitting outside the Athens cafe owned by Dimitris Karamichalos.

He said he and his family were not causing any trouble but Mr Karamichalos "just went mad" and "came at me with a metal bar".

He said: "There was no real fight and Frederick was not even in the area but was still charged with assault."

He said he thought they had been prejudiced against because they were British and suggested the police had kicked and beaten them.

The group were arrested in Athens in the early hours of Sunday

He said "It has been the most traumatic week of my life.

"We are not going to drop this case, the court procedure was ridiculous.

"We were misled by the police and not told we were going for trial so we had no time to prepare a defence.

"We will make a complaint against the police but not if it puts my family at risk."

Under Greek law the men can pay a fine of 10 euros (about £7) a day for a year, instead of going to prison, but this is on hold pending their appeal, which could take up to a year to be heard.

Their mother Vera Johnson, 45, was convicted of resisting arrest and sentenced to three months in jail or a fine of 817 euros (£570).

She paid the fine, thereby waiving her right to appeal.

Mrs Johnson, her fiancé Andy Glover, and her parents remain have stayed in Greece.