Remorseless bully jailed after filming attack on teenager
A bully who recorded the torture of a teenager on his mobile phone has been jailed for 15 months.
Aaron Adams, 23, was part of a gang of thugs who imprisoned and tortured a teenager during a "kangaroo court" at the YMCA in Cheyne Walk, Northampton.
He filmed it all on his mobile phone but the footage, taken in October, was used to prosecute him after staff at the YMCA saw the 'happy slapping' film and informed police.
It showed Adams using a cigarette lighter on the victim's hand as the others repeatedly punched and kicked him, while a pillow was placed over his head.
Northampton Crown Court has heard that when one of the female witnesses told the attackers to stop, Adams put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.
Rebecca Crane, prosecuting, said: "YMCA staff became aware of the film and when they saw the video, they spoke with the teenage victim who had burns on the left ear and side of his face.
"He was very distressed about what had happened but refused to make a statement."
The court heard that while the victim was being interviewed by the police, his phone rang up to 15 times and he was heard to say: "I told them I wouldn't say anything. I've not grassed."
The 16-year-old victim, who cannot be named, was tied to a chair and had a pillow put over his head before being tortured and assaulted in a 30-minute ordeal.
Beer and water were poured over him, while Adams filmed it, and a cigarette lighter and aerosol were used to burn the side of his face.
Co-defendants Ashley Knight, 20, Adam Burnham, aged 23, Adam Bartley, 20, and 17-year-old Craig Lloyd, were locked up in April for their roles in the teenager's imprisonment.
Knight had been in a relationship with Sarah Ward, who was pregnant with his child, and believed the victim had had sex with her.
Adams, of Kingsmead, Kingsthorpe pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment.
Judge Richard Bray said: "You treated your victim in a humiliating way. The matter is aggravated as you filmed this all on your mobile phone and showed it about.
"That scarcely shows remorse for what you did. There must be a custodial sentence to reflect the public's revulsion to this offence."
Knight, of Grafton Street, Northampton, is now serving 21 months' detention while Burnham, of Redwood Close, Kettering, was imprisoned for 17 months, Bartley, of St John's Station Passage, received 15 months' detention and Lloyd, of Newstone Crescent, Briar Hill, received eight months' detention.
Richard Holloway, defending, said Adams believed the ordeal started as a joke but when matters got out of hand, he had failed to stop it.
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