Corby thugs who kidnapped vulnerable man at knifepoint before torturing him with boiling water jailed

The terrifying ordeal saw the three drug dealers force a couple at knifepoint to taxi them around while searching for their target
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Three thugs who kidnapped a vulnerable man at knifepoint and tortured him at a Corby house have been locked up for a total of 22 years.

The horrific ordeal in January this year saw the three wannabe gangsters hold a couple at knife point and ordering them to drive to Cambridgeshire in their search for their victim.

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Then, when they located their man, they dragged him back to a Corby house and poured boiling water on his hands so they could force back into selling drugs for them.

L to R: Abdillah Cumar, Toushane Spencer and Derek Harris.L to R: Abdillah Cumar, Toushane Spencer and Derek Harris.
L to R: Abdillah Cumar, Toushane Spencer and Derek Harris.

At their sentencing at Northampton Crown Court today (November 20), the judge heard how the three young criminals - Abdillah Cumar, aged 21, of no fixed address, Toushane Spencer, aged 19 and Derek Harris, 18, from Corby - hunted down their victim because they didn't like how he had stopped selling drugs for them and told him he owed them "a debt".

Prosecutor Mr Andrew Howarth said: "[The victim] thought he was going to die. He was kicked and punched in the face by Spencer who told him he had a debt to work off and would work for them 'for two months at least'.

"They cut his hair, made him drink a mixture of cigarette ash and milk and Spencer poured boiling water on his hands. He told him if he screamed he would be stabbed."

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The ordeal began in the afternoon of January 13 this year when a young couple agreed to supposedly drive Spencer to London.

Ringleader Toushane Spencer. He poured boiling water on his victim's hands and told him if he screamed he would stab him.Ringleader Toushane Spencer. He poured boiling water on his victim's hands and told him if he screamed he would stab him.
Ringleader Toushane Spencer. He poured boiling water on his victim's hands and told him if he screamed he would stab him.

But when they arrived to fetch him, Spencer climbed in the car with Harris and Cumar.

Mr Howarth said: "Immediately they started making threats of significant violence. Harris [who was 16 at the time] told the driver 'you don't know who I am, I'm going to stab you, I'm going to stab you, I'm going to stab your girlfriend'.

"As they started driving, Cumar said 'I'm in the perfect place to shoot you' and showed what appeared to be a pistol in his waistband."

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The three thugs then set out what their kidnapped driver was going to do - he was to drive them to St Neots in Cambridgeshire to track down a friend of his who had walked away from selling drugs for them.

Derek Harris threatened the driver and the woman in the car by saying he would stab them if they didn't drive.Derek Harris threatened the driver and the woman in the car by saying he would stab them if they didn't drive.
Derek Harris threatened the driver and the woman in the car by saying he would stab them if they didn't drive.

Over the next three hours, the driver was forced to go between Cambridgeshire and Corby in search of the target. At any possible location, he was made to look for him while his girlfriend was kept hostage in the car.

Eventually. the three criminals tracked the man they wanted down to a house in Corby.

Mr Howarth said: "They kicked the door down and forced entry. He was dragged out the property, punched and pulled into the car. He thought he was going to die."

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The captive girlfriend was then dropped off at the train station, and was forced to watch her boyfriend drive away at knifepoint.

Abdillah Cumar.Abdillah Cumar.
Abdillah Cumar.

Mr Howarth said: "The rest drove to an address in Corby, and [the driver and the other man] were forced inside.

"[The driver] was forced into the kitchen and punched in the face Spencer.

"But he was left alone, and it was at this point [the driver] managed to climb out the window and escape. As he left, he heard [the other man] screaming from the living room."

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Inside the house, the three kidnappers began a campaign of abuse led by Spencer against the captive man, including cutting his hair off and making him drink cigarette ash mixed in milk.

Mr Howarth said: "He was kicked and punched in the face by Spencer. He told him who told him he had a debt to work off and would work for them 'for two months at least'.

"Spencer then put the kettle on and forced [the victim] to hold his hands over the sink.

"He later told police Spencer just 'poured and poured and poured'. He told him if he screamed he would be stabbed."

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However, soon after the police arrived at the house - both the driver of the car and his girlfriend had called the police once they were free.

All three men were arrested. They made no comment in their police interviews.

The victim in the house spent three weeks in hospital with his injuries, and reportedly did not suffer lasting damage. In a victim impact statement read out by Mr Howarth, the man said: "It didn't really hit me until a few weeks later when I was looking at my hands and wondering if they would ever work again.

"I just think it's wrong how they could do it. I now hate them with a passion."

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All three men pleaded guilty to kidnapping and wounding with intent.

But at court today, the ringleader Spencer was ruled as not being 'dangerous' to warrant an extended sentence.

In fact, the defence team for Harris - who had threatened to stab the girlfriend in the car if the driver didn't comply - argued that the incident was 'out of character'.

In sentencing, His Honour Judge David Herbert said: "You were prepared to to kidnap two other people to achieve your goals. You threatened to stab them if they didn't help you.

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"[Your victim] thought he was going to be killed... Your intent to was injure and humiliate him, and all because you wanted him to carry on selling drugs for you."

Toushane Spencer was jailed for eight years. Abdillah Cumar was locked up for five years and two months.

However, Derek Harris was handed the longest sentence of all three with a prison term of nine years - because of his involvement in a gangland stabbing six months before in Blackthorn, Northampton.