Teen sentenced for gang attack on urban explorers
GoogleA teenage member of a gang which imprisoned four urban explorers and assaulted them with weapons has been sentenced.
Carlisle Youth Court, sitting at the city's magistrates' court, heard how attackers targeted the men in July as they visited a disused hotel in the Gilsland area, on the Cumbria-Northumberland border, and then filmed themselves during the lengthy ordeal.
Three of the men spoke of living in a constant state of fear, believing the attackers might track them down.
Hussain Ali, 18, of Dunworth Street, Manchester, who was 17 at the time, admitted four charges of false imprisonment. He received a 12-month referral order and three-month night-time curfew.
During an ordeal lasting several hours, the four men were detained, beaten with weapons and spat upon while forced to the ground.
They also had their phones taken and were coerced into giving their family details.
One man later described feeling "vulnerable and scared" as he was struck several times to his legs, of receiving hospital treatment and suffering ongoing pain. "I started to believe I was going to be killed," he said.
Prosecutor Diane Jackson told the court the man "feared he would never see his children again".
Another explorer, speaking through a victim impact statement, said he remembered "being genuinely terrified for my life", adding: "It was the scariest thing I have ever experienced."
Urban explorers venture into old properties, photographing and filming what they find and documenting it online.
'Not soft option'
The court heard Ali was one of those who committed "exceptionally serious acts".
A defence solicitor said he had been one of several people tasked with protecting the disused building for a "boss man".
District judge Philip Holden said Ali had spent the last five months in youth custody on remand.
In view of that fact, and taking into account Ali's age, childhood trauma, lack of maturity and the positive way he had engaged while in detention, the judge stepped back from imposing a custodial sentence.
The judge stressed the referral order was "not a soft option".
He said it was designed not only to punish Ali, but also to address his attitude to offending, rehabilitate and offer help from professionals for the longer term.
"This is an opportunity for you to not come back to custody and not get into further trouble," the judge said.
To date, no-one else has been arrested or charged following the incident.
