A man endured a horrifying ordeal reminiscent of a Stephen King novel when he was sexually assaulted and brutally tortured by a gang using various weapons, including a meat tenderiser. The victim, left traumatized, was also subjected to burning and waterboarding during a six-day captivity at a house in Orchard Street, Huddersfield, on July 10th, 2024, causing him unimaginable suffering.
Three members of the gang have been imprisoned for their involvement in the vicious attack, while two others received prison terms for a separate assault on a different individual a month later.
DC Andy Buckingham of Kirklees CID expressed satisfaction with the sentencing, emphasizing the extreme levels of violence in both incidents and the lasting trauma inflicted on the victims.
The court learned that the initial victim, a drug user and dealer, was targeted by the gang after police confiscated drugs from him following an arrest. The ringleader, Natalie Dennison, along with Joshua Bhatti and Makyle Francois, demanded a significant sum of money from him, leading to a series of violent acts.
Describing the brutal assault, Judge Tom Bayliss highlighted the escalating violence inflicted on the victim, including being hit with various objects and subjected to degrading treatment, mirroring scenes from a Stephen King novel.
The victim’s harrowing experience included being waterboarded multiple times before managing to escape with the help of a stranger. However, he continues to suffer from physical and mental health issues, experiencing panic attacks, anxiety, and depression.
In a poignant victim impact statement, he expressed the profound impact of the attacks on his life, indicating significant changes in his behavior and well-being, with lasting reminders of the trauma he endured.
The court also heard details of a separate retaliatory attack in August 2024, involving the same individuals, resulting in further violence and terror inflicted on another victim before he managed to escape.
The sentences handed down to the five defendants reflect the severity of their crimes, with Dennison receiving a 21-year sentence, Francois an 18-year sentence, Bhatti an 18-year sentence, Bridges a four-year and eight-month sentence, and Hainds a two-year and nine-month sentence for their respective roles in the assaults.
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