Two British brothers were yesterday sentenced to a year each in jail for assaulting an Athens souvenir store owner last weekend. Christian and Frederick Johnson, 23 and 18, respectively, appealed against their conviction and were released.

The two siblings, their mother Vera, 44, and their stepfather Andrew Glover, 45, were arrested on Sunday following a fracas with Dimitris Karamichalos, 49, whose store entrance in central Plaka they had littered with kebabs. The brothers say Karamichalos — now recovering from surgery to his leg — had only been pushed to the ground.

The mother was sentenced to three months in jail for insulting behavior, which she paid off, while their stepfather was cleared of all charges. The family, who hail from the small British country town of Tunbridge Wells, are residents of Athens, The Associated Press reported.