Aqila Mumthaz

Two women who tied up and tortured a Muslim convert were sentenced to three years on August 10.

The man, 23, was tricked into letting Emma Storey, 35, and Lois Evans, 30, both from Guisborough, Cleveland, into his house on April 5 and was then tied up and assaulted. Storey filmed Evans battering the victim with a hammer and made threats to use a power drill on his kneecaps and kill him as the victim begged his attackers to stop.

The women then had his mouth forcefully stuffed with wood filler and also had some of his hair cut off while screaming, “We don’t like Muslims over here, you know. I f***ing hate them.”

While the pair initially denied the offences, videos of the attack were found on Storey’s phone, which also captured Evans verbally abusing him about his faith. Towards the end, he can be seen lying on the floor where it looks like he is being kicked by Evans.

The court heard Evans threaten to kill the man, and Storey “baulked”, saying: “I agreed to this, but not to bury a body.”

The distressing footage was played at the Teesside Crown Court. After hearing screams from the victim, a couple, believed to be the victim’s parents, left the courtroom, but later returned.Evans was imprisoned for three years and four months and storey got two years and eight months.

When the phone footage of the attack was shown in court, Storey wept while Evans watched with no emotion.

Judge Deborah Sherwin told the pair: “Each of you have the capacity to be violent bullies when the need, in your eyes, arises. It is nothing short of miraculous that his injuries were not worse.” She added: “I have seen the clips and it is quite clear he is begging you to stop, he was cowering away and was clearly terrified.”

Evans admitted false imprisonment, religiously-aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm and making threats to kill following the incident in April this year. Storey pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Speaking after the case of Bethany Raine of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a particularly nasty attack on a vulnerable man, motivated in part by Evans’ anger towards his faith. I would sincerely hope that the sentences delivered by the court provide a good measure of comfort to the victim after what must have been a terrifying ordeal.”