Armed thug put teen through torture ordeal
AN armed man who tortured a teenager and made him beg for his life after accusing him of sleeping with his girlfriend has been jailed for eight years.
Matthew Ryan, 30, assaulted the 17-year-old boy and threatened him with death and rape during a terrifying attack that lasted around four hours.
Jack Hepplestone, 31, was jailed
The court heard Ryan and Hepplehe had not provoked the incident. stone were snorting cocaine during the He said he did not leave the house for incident. two months after the incident and is
The boys’ three friends were let out of now living in a hostel. the car but over the course of the next Ryan, of Firthcliff Drive in Liversedge, four hours the main victim was repeatand Hepplestone, of Mount Pleasant in edly assaulted while the friend he had Emley, both admitted five counts of arrived with was forced to watch. false imprisonment in relation to the
The main victim told the court how five victims. Ryan also pleaded guilty to he was forced to get on his hands and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. knees and beg for his life, which he did. Ryan has 15 previous convictions,
He believed he was going to die, had including for robbing his father at difficulty breathing and asked for his knifepoint, and was subject to a susinhaler. Ryan said: “You can drop dead pended sentence at the time of the now - I don’t care.” offences. Hepplestone also has previ
Hepplestone told Ryan: “If you’re ous convictions. going to kill him, then I want you to Kate Batty, mitigating for Ryan, said take me home.” her client was acting on false informaRyan then dropped Hepplestone off. tion, only intended to scare the victims The boys were finally let go when the and did not use the weapons. main victim said he would get the Giving evidence in a trial of issue, female’s number the next day. Hepplestone told the judge he had not
The main victim suffered a broken seen Ryan since school when he asked nose and other injuries. him to go for a drink with him. He
Reading a victim personal statement drank four or five pints and he did not to the court, the main victim said he know what was going to happen. was on medication for post-traumatic Anastasis Tasou, mitigating for Hepstress disorder and was no longer plestone, said his client had belowat the top of his class in colaverage intelligence, suffered lege. from severe paranoia and
In a victim personal was recruited due to his size.statementreadtothe court, the other But Judge Tom teenager said he Bayliss QC told Hephad lost everything plestone: “Your conas a result, includduct was cruel, ing his own girldeliberate and it friend and his amounts to torture.” friends. Ryan and Hepple
He also said his stone were also made family had disowned subject to indefinite him as they did not believe restraining orders. for five years after forcing the victim’s helpless 16-year-old friend to watch the beatings.
Leeds Crown Court heard Ryan told the boys’ three friends he had a shotgun and made them lure the others to meet them at the Foresters Arms pub in Lower Cumberworth, Denby Dale, at around 9.30pm on July 30 last year.
Ryan asked the main victim for a woman’s number when he arrived, before punching him to the floor.
Hepplestone picked the boy up and punched him to the floor again.
Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed said the five teenagers, all aged 16 and 17, were made to get into a vehicle and driven away from the pub.
Ryan punched the main victim and put him in the boot of the car, saying: “This is what happens when you sleep with my girlfriend.”
He also said he was responsible for ‘bodies in the river in Dewsbury’ and said he had never been caught, adding: “We run this place. I am the tank. I am the Grim Reaper.”
We run this place. I am the tank. I am the Grim
Reaper