Two men who tortured a 19-year-old in a gruesome attack, which involved carving initials into his forehead, have been jailed.
In a bid to get money, the criminals subjected the victim to prolonged torture and urinated on him - despite one of the attackers being his friend, according to a Met Police statement.
Yousaf Khan, 19, of Peabody Estate, Fulham Palace Road, and Xavier Christopher, 18, of Eastcote Lane, in Northolt, both pleaded guilty to kidnap, false imprisonment and wounding at Isleworth Crown Court on February 5.
Sameer Khan, 23, also of Peabody Estate, pleaded guilty to witness intimidation on the same day.
On Friday (May 29), at the same court, Yousaf Khan was sentenced to nine years in prison, with an extended period of five years on licence.
Christopher was sentenced to eight years behind bars with an extended period of five years on licence, while Sameer Khan was sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
The incident took place on August 26 last year, when Yousaf Khan and Christopher lured a teenager to a secluded alleyway near Farmland, Northolt, where they tried to rob him, police said.
When it became apparent the victim had no money, the pair subjected him to a prolonged period of abuse and torture, making repeated threats towards him and his family.
Khan punched the victim hard in the face before producing a flick-knife and holding it under the victim’s eye. He then used the knife to carve his initials across the victim’s forehead.
Christopher then took the knife, cut the victim, and carved letters onto his arm, police said.
Having been repeatedly tortured for almost three hours, as well as urinated on, the victim agreed to take the two to his home to get money.
The victim was instructed to go inside, wearing his moped helmet so no one would see his injuries. They also told him to keep his phone on so they could hear what he was saying.
Once inside however, he received a call from his uncle, which cut off the connection to the suspect’s phone, giving him the opportunity to raise the alarm.
Witness intimidation
Police arrested Yousaf Khan the next day and Christopher was identified and arrested within the week. Both were subsequently charged and remanded in custody.
While in custody and awaiting trial, Yousef Khan’s brother Sameer Khan made a number of unsuccessful approaches to the victim, trying to dissuade him from giving evidence in court.
On November 19, Sameer Khan came across the victim in Hammersmith. He called ahead to an associate who attacked the victim in the street while Sameer Khan looked on, police said. Despite this new attack, the victim remained resolute and supported police action throughout.
Sameer Khan was arrested and charged with witness intimidation on November 24.
Passing his sentence Judge Johnson made clear the offence was aggravated by the fact that the victim had placed his trust in Yousaf Khan, a childhood friend, and this trust has been severely abused by the men willing to go to almost any length to get money.
Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Constable Michael Currie said: “The victim was put through a horrific ordeal by someone he trusted as a friend.
"He and his family were strong and supported the investigation throughout despite being intimidated by others.
"With evidence stacked against them, the three defendants had no option but to plead guilty.
"I hope this sentence allows the victim to move on and demonstrates this type of action will be met with the full force of the law.”
