Terrified naked man told he would be 'chopped up' and buried under Leeds flat during brutal seven-hour beating
A terrified man held in a Leeds flat was stripped and beaten for up to seven hours before his attackers discussed “chopping him up” and burying him beneath the floorboards.
Luke Castelow and Kasif Hussain lured the man to the premises on Fillingfir Walk in West Park where they locked the door and subjected him to a humiliating ordeal.
They attacked him with a pool cue and a machete and left him with a broken arm, lacerations, bruises and ongoing psychological issues.
The pair were jailed at Leeds Crown Court this week for the bloody and sustained attack.
The victim had joined the pair, and another man, for a night of drinking and drug taking on September 9, 2021. There was then a falling out between the victim and Hussain, who had “taken a dislike“ to the man.
The third man later rang the victim and invited him round to Hussain’s flat on Fillingfir Walk, where he was led to believe he would be safe. When he arrived, Hussain poured him a drink, but an air pistol was then put to his head.
The third man left and Hussain told Castelow to lock the door. The man was then stipped to his boxer shorts and beaten. Castelow headbutted him, breaking his nose, and attacked him with a sound speaker.
He had his arm broken by Castelow with a pool cue and a machete. It was later found that Castelow had made two short videos of the naked victim, sat shaking on a chair and covered in blood.
He overheard the pair talking about disposing of him, dismembering him and putting him under the floorboards. They eventually let him go at around 8am, but warned him they would kill him and his family and “chop them up” if he told police.
The victim was taken to hospital and required surgery on his arm to fit a metal plate.
Hussain, 43, denied any wrongdoing after being arrested. He was was found guilty after a trial of false imprisonment and assault, but was cleared of Section 18 GBH.
He admitted a charge of possession of cannabis after 30 grammes of the drug was found in his flat on his arrest.
Castelow, 21, of Kirkstall Road, Leeds, admitted charges of Section 18 GBH and false imprisonment.
He also admitted a charge of obstructing an engine after throwing items onto the railway line at the viaduct on Kirkstall Road on January 1 this year. He caused more than three hours in train delays and £43,000 in costs.
Both appeared in court this week via video link from HMP Leeds where they were being held on remand.
Mitigating for Castelow, Philip Mahoney said that he had learning difficulties. He had been taking crack, cocaine and heroin and had drunk “two to three litres” of spirits in the hours before the attack. For Hussain, Syam Soni said he now accepted striking the victim with the pool cue.
Judge Penelope Belcher jailed Castelow for seven years and two months. She told him: “You speak of remorse that if you had not been on drink and drugs, it would not have happened.
“It was entirely your choice. Your treatment of him was utterly humiliating. It was significant violence involving dangerous weapons.”
Hussain was given a five-year sentence. They must both serve two-thirds of the sentence before being eligible for parole, rather than at the usual half-way stage.