Man held prisoner and ‘tortured’ in his own home by ‘dangerous’ criminal
Michele Stuart-Lofthouse prosecuted a defendant charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and false imprisonment. The sentencing hearing was prosecuted by Amber Hobson in Michele’s stead.
The defendant attended at this vulnerable complainant’s home with two other males. The defendant was known to the complainant. The defendant and the two other males were drinking. There had been an incorrect view taken by the two males accompanying the defendant that the complainant had reported them to the police. The defendant put the complainant into a headlock, saying “if I find out you’ve grassed I’ll do you in”. What followed was described by the prosecution as a tortuous attack over the course of at least 5 hours, involving biting to the complainant’s face, strangulation so that the complainant could not breathe, punches, wrestling, bleach being poured onto the complainant, attempts to break his fingers and hitting him to the head with an accompanying claim that “if you want to brain damage somebody this is how you do it”. The complainant, who already suffered with a spinal condition, a fractured foot and broken kneecap, was also subjected to his legs and arms being bent back to breaking point whilst the defendant also jumped onto the complainant’s back.
The complainant was then told by the defendant that even if he did ten years, he would ultimately find him and kill him.
HHJ Menary in passing sentence noted that the attack could have been fatal and that the defendants actions were “sadistic”. The defendant was found by the court to be a dangerous offender. The total sentence passed was one of 12 years and 3 months. The court also granted the prosecution application for a restraining order, making this for a 15 year period.
