Three brothers have each been jailed for seven years for the manslaughter of a man who plunged to his death from a bathroom window to escape them.

Valodia Tarasov, 35, Jurius Tarasov, 33, and Viktoras Tarasov, 39, ganged up on and assaulted Pawel Pacholok after wrongly accusing him of stealing a mobile phone, leaving him so terrified he attempted to escape from a first-floor window. 

Valodia, of Abingdon Road, Norbury, and Jurius, of Barrington Road, Brixton, skipped bail and went on the run after being convicted on July 24, sparking a nine-day manhunt.

Valodia was arrested the next day but police did not find his younger brother until August 2, following a tip-off from the member of the public who had seen him in Croydon town centre.

Viktoras, of Aurelia Road, Croydon, did not flee.

All three brothers, born in Bulgaria, had denied causing the death of 37-year-old Mr Pacholak in Streatham High Street, where the Polish national was staying with a friend

The brothers had been drinking at the house, where Viktoras Tarasov was also living, on January 12 last year, when they accused Mr Pacholak of stealing Jurius's phone. In fact, he had had left it in a betting shop.

The argument turned violent and Mr Pacholak, in his desperation to escape, took refuge in the bathroom. 

Despite breaking his neck in the fall, in which he landed face down, he managed to stagger to nearby Albert Carr Gardens, where he was found dead slumped against a garden wall the next morning.

He had suffered extensive head, face and upper-body injuries, including 11 broken ribs.

His body bore clear signs he had been assaulted and extensive blood stains were found at the house where he was attacked.

Police officers who arrived at the house witnessed Viktoras Tarasov throwing red water out of the back door. They claimed it was blood from meat, but were found guilty of conspiracy perverting the course of justice for attempting to hide the evidence. 

Valodia was convicted of the same charge, as well as breach of bail. Jurius was also convicted of breach of bail.

They were jailed yesterday at the Old Bailey.