Gang used Hemel Hempstead flat as 'base' for torture

On Friday, October 27, nine members of the gang were sentenced for their involvement in three separate plots.

The hearing, at Cardiff Crown Court, heard that Fortune Lawson, 27, was the "dangerous" ringleader of an organised crime gang that kidnapped and tortured its victims with knives and boiling water in exchange for cash and expensive jewellery. He has now been jailed for 25 years.

In December 2020, Lawson kidnapped one of his victims, Victim A, on the pretence of smoking cannabis together.

Instead, he took him to a flat in Cardiff and waterboarded and beat him and threatened him with guns and knives and an “attack dog”.

Victim A was forced to call a friend to arrange for £50,000 to be handed over, but the friend called South Wales Police to report a “life or death situation” and, unbeknownst to the kidnappers, hostage negotiators were monitoring phone calls.

The victim was taken to another stronghold in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, where the horrifying ordeal continued before he was eventually rescued by armed police, who found him with cable ties on his wrists “shaking and crying”.

The court heard about two further plots. In one, a "terrified" Victim B was kidnapped outside his London home in November 2018 after he was seen wearing a Rolex watch in a Snapchat photograph.

He had been lured into meeting Lawson on the pretence of discussing cannabis, but Judge Daniel Williams said this was nothing but a "ploy" with Lawson and two others intent on kidnapping and torturing Victim B until the watch and a ransom was handed over.

The victim was terrorised for eight hours, during which he was stabbed multiple times, had his eyes gouged, and boiling water with sugar in it poured on his abdomen and groin.

He was forced to call family members to arrange for money and the Rolex to be handed over before being released.

The court heard he was found by his cousin and his brother in a car park near Kenton railway station but he could not get in the car because of his “most dreadful” injuries.

He was taken to Northwick Park Hospital where he spent five days having treatment for injuries including stab wounds to his arm and back, burns to his thighs, arm and knee and cuts and bruises, and had to undergo surgery three months later.

Judge Williams said Lawson had “muscle” to carry out the kidnapping, and “gophers” on hand to collect the cash.

DNA evidence obtained from blood found in the Cardiff flat led police to identify another victim, Victim C, who had also been held against his will and repeatedly assaulted at the same address.

As well as Lawson, eight other members of the gang were also sentenced.

Davood Assadpour, 33, and 30-year-old Micaiah Marley, from Watford, were jailed for 15 years; Arnold Fumemeya and Alexis Mutesa, both 27, for 13 years; Gideon Lawson, 24, for 12 years; Ahmed Omar, 29, for nine years; Stephen Isaac, 66, for six years; and Denis Delishaj, 34, for eight years, as well as eight months for having a phone in prison.

Arnold Fumemeya (left) and Alexis Mutesa were jailed for 13 years each. (Image: South Wales Police)

Fumumeya and Mutesa were described as the "muscle" who transported one of the victims from Cardiff to Hemel Hempstead, while Isaac provided his Hemel Hempstead flat as a "base" for the torture in return for drugs.

The court heard that Delisaj also played a "significant role" in blackmailing Mr Ibrahimi and, while he was not part of the kidnap or torture, he was “at the other end of the phone” while it was taking place and acted as a translator and ransom negotiator to relay Lawson’s “vile demands”.

Judge Williams praised South Wales Police for their “painstaking work” in bringing the criminal gang to justice and noted the bravery of the victims in coming forward.

Jenny Hopkins, Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS Cymru-Wales, said: “The torture suffered by the victims in this case is almost beyond belief. In their pursuit of money, those responsible were seemingly willing to inflict maximum suffering.

“The ringleader and mastermind, Fortune Lawson, planned the extortions like military operations. He targeted men who trusted him and who he had identified as possessing high-value goods or significant amounts of money.

“Others in the gang had varying roles – but each was aware of the terrifying ordeal the victims were being put through. They all took steps to avoid being implicated, including wearing masks, balaclavas and gloves.

“Thankfully these dangerous and violent men have now been brought to justice, but the suffering of the victims and the impact of their injuries goes on.

“I want to express my utmost gratitude to the victims for their courage in making statements and giving evidence in this case which ultimately enabled us to secure convictions.”