Teen torturers get 20 years

THE victim's burns

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FOUR Oldham teenagers involved in a sickening campaign of violence, abuse, intimidation and humiliation against a youngster who just wanted to be their friend, have been sent down for a total of almost 20 years.

What began as almost playground bullying, quickly escalated to sinister levels, ending with the 15-year old being effectively kidnapped and tortured.

He was taken under threat to the Oldham home of one of his tormentors where he was repeatedly punched and kicked, stripped, bound with tape, slashed with a kitchen knife, and branded up to eight times with a red hot iron

Salt and lemon juice were then rubbed into his raw wounds to intensify his pain, as his attackers jeered and mocked him.

He was subjected to a humiliating sex act, then forced into the bathroom where he was urinated on, and had disinfectant poured over him.

The victim who incredibly still at first refused to speak about what had happened to him, managed to hide the worst of his injuries, and police were not called in until the following day when school staff were highly concerned by his appearance.

Sentencing the four - all of whom are under 18 - Judge Timothy Mort told them: "You all played a role. This was a brutal attack and involved real torture.

"It is clear that you were all involved in violent bullying quite cold bloodedly".

He said he was convinced that the group had agreed to get the victim to the address on October 5 last year to inflict serious physical harm.

The judge said the campaign of abuse against the youngster had involved exerting power and control over the victim and humiliating him."It was a torture of the soul" he said.

Judge Mort said the nature of the offences was so serious that he was prepared to lift normal reporting restrictions prohibiting identification of under-age defendants in court cases.

Shohaib Khan (17), of Grange Avenue, Oldham who was described as the ringleader of the group was sent down for a total of six and a half years after pleading to charges of blackmail, false imprisonment, and wounding with intent.

Judge Mort told him: "This was incredibly sadistic behaviour."

The same youth was also sentenced for a separate and unrelated wounding offence in which he viciously bit of part of a teenager's ear in a fight.

Sufyan Yaqub (16), of Park Road, Oldham, was sent down for a total of four years. "What you did was horrendous" said the judge.

Ahsan Khan (15), of Revidge Road, Blackburn, who was convicted after trial of blackmail, two counts of common assault, theft, false imprisonment, wounding with intent, and causing the victim to engage in a sex act against his will, was sent down for five years.

Adam Hussain (16) whose home at Olivers Court, Oldham, was the scene of the attack, was given four years detention.

He was said to have been responsible for getting out the steam iron used to burn the victim, leaving marks still clearly visible months later Naseem Ali (17), who the judge said he accepted had played a far lesser role, was given a 12 month community order.