Three men jailed after 'barbaric' hostage taking and attack

Three men are facing more than 23 years in prison for the "barbaric" kidnap and torture of a man who was held hostage, burnt and cut with a machete.

Idnan Akbar, Safed Rafiq and Dawud Safeer held their victim against his will in a bedroom of a house in Luton for up to eight hours.

During the terrifying ordeal the victim suffered what has been described by police as "unimaginable cruelty".

He was hit around the head multiple times with a baseball bat, punched, attacked with a hammer and had his nose and mouth blocked to stop him breathing.

The attackers also prevented the victim from breathing using a telephone charger cable as ligature and pressing their knee on the back of the victim's neck.

Akbar was the first to attack the victim with a machete, while the machete was then heated up and used to burn him.

The victim told police that the burns caused him more pain than he had ever felt in his life.

"During this incident I honestly thought they were going to kill me and I didn't think it was going to stop," he told police.

An anonymous call to 999 tipped police off to the kidnap and torture taking place at an address in Ash Road.

Bedfordshire Police officers arrived at the address soon afterwards and found 13 men and two women inside the property – who were arrested for offences including kidnap.

There was evidence of widespread drug use as well as knives and machetes across the property.

The victim was located in an upstairs bedroom and immediately told officers that he had been kidnapped.

The victim is still recovering from his injuries and requires corrective bone surgery. 

The court heard how he continues to cover up scarring on his arms and legs to avoid reliving the trauma he suffered.   

Rafiq was arrested at the address. It was he who had initially approached the victim in the street earlier in the day in November 2021 and accused him of breaking one of the windows of Akbar's Mercedes.

Rafiq then forced the victim to come with him to the Ash Road address.

Safeer was arrested by officers attempting to leave the scene soon after police arrived.

Akbar managed to flee the scene and then went on the run from police. A machete recovered from the scene which had the victim's blood on had Akbar's DNA on the handle.

He was arrested five months later by Bedfordshire Police officers.

Rafiq, 37, of Claremont Road, Luton, and Akbar, 32, of Blenheim Crescent, Luton, both pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and causing grievous bodily harm with intent (GBH).

Safeer, 25, of Lyvelly Gardens, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to false imprisonment and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Rafiq was jailed for 10 years and two months for false imprisonment. He will serve a sentence of five years and five months for GBH at the same time.  

Akbar was handed a jail term of seven years and two months for false imprisonment, and a concurrent sentence of five years and five months for GBH.

Safeer was given a sentence of five years and 10 months for false imprisonment and 13 months for his lesser GBH offence, which will be served at the same time.

DC Adam Geary from Bedfordshire Police, who led the investigation, said: "These three men have subjected the victim in this case to unimaginable cruelty.

"Their actions are vile, inhumane and barbaric. This is the most disturbing and grotesque incident I have ever come across as a police officer.

"Evil like this should be behind bars. I hope these significant sentences will bring some sense of justice for the victim and his loved ones.

"The details of this case will undoubtedly shock people, but fortunately this kind of barbarism is incredibly rare. I am also pleased to say the victim in this case is getting the physical and emotional support he needs to recover from something I am sure will stay with him for the rest of his life."