Woman jailed for 9 years over gang attack
AWOMAN who arranged a vicious five-onone assault which left a man hospitalised with ‘terrible injuries’ has been jailed for nine years.
Nasreen Akhtar, 35, of Spring Street, Accrington was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after being found guilty after a trial of grievous bodily harm with intent. She was handed a nineyear prison sentence for her part in a violent incident in which a 47-yearold man was subjected to a prolonged assault at the hands of a group of five men.
Lancashire Police say Akhtar is believed to have been the ‘ringleader’ behind the attack which took place in July 2016 at around 11.30pm at the rear of her home address, and also watched it ‘unfold from beginning to end’.
Officers say that as a result of the assault – which went on for around ten minutes – the victim suffered a fractured left cheek, which now requires a metal plate, a dislocated left elbow, a broken nose and several broken teeth.
He was in Royal Blackburn Hospital for a week afterwards.
Police said in the weeks before the attack, Akhtar and the victim had been communicating by text message, which the victim believed was the start of a relationship.
But on the day before the assault Akhtar asked the victim to cease contact.
Police say it is thought she had become unhappy with the content of their communications.
However, the following day she claimed to have had a change of heart and invited him round to her house.
When the victim arrived at her home he was set upon in the yard at the back of the property by five unknown men.
An investigation was launched and Akhtar was arrested on July 24. The men who carried out the attack have never been traced.
DC Lee Richardson said: “This was a vicious and entirely unprovoked assault carried out against an innocent man, masterminded by someone he simply made the mistake of trusting.
“I am pleased the courts have taken this incident as seriously as we did and have seen fit to hand Akhtar a significant sentence.
“I hope she uses her time in prison to reflect on the consequences of her actions.
“I also hope the sentencing brings some comfort to the victim and enables him to move forward with his life.
“He not only suffered terrible injuries, but was later forced to go through the ordeal of a trial, and he has conducted himself with immense courage.
“We have never located the men who carried out the attack and would continue to urge anybody who knows who they are to contact us online, or via 101, quoting crime reference ED1611061.”