Teenage torturer is found guilty

Agonising: The victim was burned by an iron

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AN OLDHAM teenager has been found guilty of being involved in a sickening campaign of violence, abuse, intimidation and humiliation against a youngster who just wanted to be accepted as part of their gang.

A jury of six men and six women reached unanimous verdicts at the end of what the judge called “a harrowing and desperately sad” trial at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.

The teenager was named by the victim as one of a group of five who made his life an utter misery over a period of more than four months last year.

Four others have already pleaded guilty to offences in relation to the case.

The campaign ended in October, after he was effectively kidnapped, then tortured at the home of one of the teenagers while his parents were out at work.

The victim, who like the other five can’t be named for legal reasons, was forced to go to the address in Oldham where he was stripped, slashed with a kitchen knife, “branded” up to eight times with a hot steam iron, repeatedly kicked and punched, then had lemon juice, disinfectant and salt rubbed on his wounds to increase his pain.

The jury heard that the boy had struggled to breathe as punches and kicks were rained on him, and had screamed and begged them to stop — but they simply laughed and carried on.

“Kill him”

He heard them saying: “Let’s kill him and make sure he never opens his mouth.”

The court was told the “brand” marks which clearly showed the imprint of the steam holes of the iron, were still visible five months afterwards.

The youth on trial maintained that though he had been at the address, he had left after 10 or 15 minutes because of bad toothache, and had not seen or taken part in any of the violence.

He also said on oath in court that he had been unaware of the campaign by the other four, who he accepted were his friends.

The jury however rejected his account, finding that he had been involved in the attack, and a series of earlier incidents that took place from around May onwards last year.

He was found guilty of blackmail, two counts of common assault, theft, false imprisonment, wounding with intent, and causing the victim to engage in a sexual act without his consent.

The jury had heard that the group of five all took turns in beating and burning the youth, causing such injuries that alarmed teachers at his school took him to hospital the next day, and police were then called in.

The victim had managed to cover up most of the evidence of the attack at home, and refused at first to tell even police officers what had happened.

The jury had been told that central to the campaign against the teenager was the “sale” of a phone to him by the ringleader of the group.

He asked £170 for the mobile which at first did not even work, but then kept increasing the price, demanding with threats, more and more cash.

The victim was urged to steal from his own family, and forced on one occasion to sell drugs to keep up payments, and says he handed over at least £800 in total.

He was stripped and beaten on a number of occasions, and a photograph of him naked was uploaded to an internet chatsite to add to his humiliation.

The youth found guilty in court will be sentenced in June, alongside the four others.