Three people — including two brothers — have been handed lengthy prison sentences after a man was badly beaten, burned and slashed with a blade while tied up in the bath of a Kendal flat.
Carlisle Crown Court heard today (fri) how drug-taking initially occurred in the town address on the evening of June 1 last year.
The victim left that property before returning at around 1am. He took tablets with others in the flat, and was involved in pranks as he tried to shave the hair of another male who had a cigarette paper placed on an eyebrow which was set alight.
Prosecutor David Traynor said: “His next recollection is waking up the following morning when he is naked and tied up in a bath. His feet were tied together and his legs tied to the taps of the bath. His hands were tied, or cable-clipped, together.”
For several hours he was kept in that position and attacked. He remembered numerous punches, said Mr Traynor, was struck repeatedly with a metal bar, slashed with a knife to his back, thighs and penis, burned with a blow torch on his back and hair.
It was also believed “some form of hood” had been placed over his head. He was eventually untied, went outside and collapsed beside Kendal bus station, where members of the public and the emergency services went to his aid at around 3.25pm.
He was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital for treatment to injuries which included bruises, lacerations and suspected burns.
Shocking video footage timed at just after 10am and stills were recovered from the phone of one attacker Dominic Hodgson, then aged just 17. These were played in court— showing the man with a bloodied left eye and wincing as blows were struck — and had been circulated on Snapchat.
Neighbours heard sounds of a disturbance from the flat at around 6am.
Four people were charged and brought to court. Hodgson, now aged 18, of Jutland Avenue, Grange-over-Sands, admitted false imprisonment along with two Kendal brothers — Christopher Calvert, 44, of Garth Bank; and 36-year-old John Calvert, of Stricklandgate.
Hodgson also admitted actual bodily harm assault having delivered around 12 slaps and five punches. The prosecution had been unable to say, however, exactly who else had done what.
Judge Nicholas Barker, who passed sentenced, spoke of serious offending and that it had been a case of joint enterprise.
He jailed John Calvert for six years four months, Christopher Calvert for five years 11 months and sentenced Hodgson to 45 months’ detention.
*A fourth defendant, Rhiannon Stewart, aged 34, of Lound Road, Kendal, also admitted false imprisonment and will receive her punishment on a future date.
