A young man was made to strip, had eggs and flour thrown over him, was Tasered to his testicles, ordered to rub Deep Heat into his bottom and forced to dress in his girfriend’s clothes.
And his girlfriend was also subjected to humiliating treatment during a horrific two-day ordeal as they were twice held captive by a gang who repeatedly tortured and robbed them.
She had a knife held to her throat, had juice and talcum powder poured over her, air freshener squeezed into her mouth and was made to believe a gun was being held to her head.
The couple were so traumatised by their terrifying ordeal that the young man even tried to take his own life out of fear that it would continue for a third day.
Unable to take any more, they went to the police – and three of their tormentors have now been jailed by a judge at Warwick Crown Court.
Shaan Khanyal and Arbbaaz Chauhan each pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to kidnap, two of conspiracy to rob and one charge of conspiracy to falsely imprison.
Khanyal (24) of Achal Close, Little Heath, Coventry, was jailed for ten years and five months, and Chauhan (24) of Albert Fearn Gardens, Foleshill, Coventry, for nine years.
Matis Cohene (18) of Bulwer Road, Radford, Coventry, who was only 15 at the time of the incidents in October 2017, was given a two-year detention and training order.
The court heard he had only been involved on the second day, and had pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to rob and conspiracy to falsely imprison.
Prosecutor Daniel Oscroft said that in October 2017 the victims went to a party, and the next day they were contacted to be told they owed Khanyal money for food and drink.
They were then contacted by someone called Wes and agreed to meet him in Jubilee Crescent for the money to be handed over, and after withdrawing £30, they turned up for the handover.
But they were taken to a nearby address where Khanyal and Chauhan were waiting, and their phones were taken from them before they were taken to Wes’s home.
The young man was then driven around for an hour while his captors sold drugs, before being taken to his flat where he was assaulted with a Taser and hit with a steering wheel lock.
“He was forced to strip and had eggs and flour thrown at him and then made to lie on his bed and rub Deep Heat into his bottom,” said Mr Oscroft.
The gang took his PS4, jewellery and other property, and he was forced to dress in his girlfriend’s clothes before being taken to a shop where a man called Max made him withdraw £240.
He and his girlfriend were then taken to Max’s home where he was told he owed them £2,000 and was burned with a cigarette and slapped by Max.
The couple were then ordered to close their eyes, and something was put to the girlfriend’s head as she was told she was to be shot with a silenced gun – but when the boyfriend was told to open his eyes he saw it was actually a hammer.
They were then released and warned not to tell anyone what had happened.
But the next day Khanyal, Chauhan, Wes and Max went to the girlfriend’s home, and she and a friend were told they could not leave as a man in a mask followed them round the property.
“Max produced a butcher’s knife and held it to her throat and she was told to write down the names of everyone she had told about the previous day.
“Khanyal then poured juice over her and Chauhan squeezed talc over her head. They opened the attic and told her to go up, but she would not go.”
Wes, Chauhan and Khanyal then left, but she and her friend were held there by others including Cohene.
When her boyfriend returned from work at about 6pm, Wes, Chauhan and Khanyal also returned, and he and the two young women were threatened with having their fingers chopped off.
And the girlfriend had some of her long blonde hair cut off and Fabreze air freshener was squeezed into her mouth.
A Taser was used on the boyfriend, allegedly by Chauhan, although that was disputed, and then by Wes who fired it at his genitals before more property was stolen and they left.
That night the young man tried to commit suicide out of fear of their torment continuing, and the next day they reported their ordeal to the police and the three defendants were arrested.
Mr Oscroft added that Khanyal had a previous conviction for possessing a sawn-off shotgun, while Chauhan had convictions for battery and possessing a prohibited weapon and a knife, but Cohene had no convictions at that time.
In a statement their male victim said: “Because of these events I have moved away from Coventry and my friends and family. I have had to start a whole new life, and I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.”
And the female victim said it has left her scared to leave her home.
David Martin-Sperry, for Chauhan, read out a letter from him in which he said: “I deeply regret my actions. I am so sorry I let this happen to you. I am embarrassed and ashamed at not being the person who stopped it.”
And the barristers for all three defendants made the point that they had not played the leading roles in what happened.
Sentencing the three, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told them: “All of you watched and all of you gave active support to this gross and horrific act.
“This series of offences is very serious indeed. He was moved about and abused in the most degrading way, as was [his girlfriend]. These were planned, brutal events.”
