Drugs torture victim forced to sing during beatings

Two men who beat and scalded their victim, forcing him to sing and dance naked to Whitney Houston songs in a “degrading” assault, have been jailed.

Sakhawat Hussain, 35, and Andre Clarke, 30, poured boiling water over the man’s genitals and made him perform the singer’s hits “for their own amusement”, a court heard.

The pair, who attacked the man in a drugs row, also threatened his pregnant girlfriend, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Both were jailed for 15 years.

They held the 32-year-old prisoner and used axes, a baseball bat, a hammer and a knife to inflict serious injuries upon him, the court heard.

Prosecutors said the pair first visited the man at his home in Healey, Batley, on 23 January following a dispute over 2.2lb (1kg) of cocaine.

Clarke held a knife to the victim’s pregnant girlfriend’s stomach and said he would “cut it out” if they were not given drugs.

The pair returned three days later, with father-of-five Hussain blaming the man for the alleged theft of £300,000 of cocaine.

Three members of the man’s family, including his young son, were then held captive, with the victim himself being taken to his cellar and beaten for several hours.

He was then bundled into a car and driven to a flat in Batley Carr, Dewsbury, where he was stripped naked and boiling water poured on his genitals.

While at the property, Hussain and Clarke forced the victim to sing and dance to Whitney Houston songs during the “humiliating” attack.

He only escaped at about 04:00 GMT the next morning.

The court also heard the woman gave birth just eight days after the first visit from Hussain and Clarke.

Sentencing, Judge Robin Mairs said the pair had used threats and coercion “to engender obedience”.

“You had no compunction to inflicting fear and terror upon the victim and his wider family,” he said.

“Physically and mentally, there is no question that this sustained and vicious attack left scars on him and will leave lasting scars upon him.”

Following a five-week trial, a jury convicted Hussain, of Hawthorne Avenue, Batley, and Clarke, 30, Wood Lane, Newsome, Huddersfield, of affray, kidnapping, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of false imprisonment.

Source: bbc.co.uk