A GANG of “thugs” who acted like “a pack of animals” when they attacked two Muslim sisters in their car have been sentenced.

The four men received community orders today at Wood Green Crown Court after being found guilty of affray and criminal damage at an earlier hearing, on August 4.

Jawad Irshad, his brother Hammed Irshad, Shujaur Rehman and Ghurfran Rashed, were arrested on July 13 after reports they had attacked a car along the A406, near Finchley, at about 10pm.

Police said the two sisters had been driving back from university when two cars containing the men drove up alongside them.

The court heard the men, who are all Muslim themselves, began making rude gestures at the women, pointed at their headscaves and laughed at them while making praying actions.

When the women stopped at traffic lights, the two cars boxed them in, close to Henlys Corner. The men got out and started kicking, punching and rocking the victims' car. One man grabbed one of the women's headscaves, a sign of disrespect in the Muslim culture.

The terrified women dialled 999 and police attended the scene.

Sentencing the four men today, His Honour Judge Ian Darling, said: “What you four did that evening was reckless, thuggish, boorish and damned right dangerous.

“You deliberately in my judgement set about making those two young lives as unpleasant as you could.

“It is wholly right that people could have been killed or injured, what with it occurring as it did on one of the busiest roads in London.

“What started this may not be clear, but it is clear how it ended. You behaved in my judgement like a pack of animals and those girls were terrified.”

Judge Darling added the group had shown “little or no remorse” following the attack and told the men he was “just persuaded” not to pass jail sentences on them.

Jawad Irshad, 24, from Couchmore Avenue, Ilford, was found guilty of affray and criminal damage and sentenced to 250 hours unpaid community service. He will also be tagged for three months and subject to a curfew between 8pm and 7am.

Hammed Irshad, 22, of Couchmore Avenue, Ilford, and Rehman, 28, of Bristol Road, Forest Gate, were found guilty of affray and each handed 200 hours unpaid community service. They will also have a curfew and be forced to wear and electronic tag for three months.

All three must also pay £400 costs.

Rashed, 18, of Bruce Grove, Tottenham, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and criminal damage and must carry out 100 hours unpaid community service and have his curfew monitored by electronic tag for a month.

Four women arrested and charged in relation to the case were acquitted at the trial.