DISABLED TEENAGE TORTURE VICTIM - ABUSER BRANDON WHELPTON SENTENCED AT NOTTINGHAM CROWN COURT
A disabled teenager was forced to perform duties as a waiter and sing "Barbie Girl" as a tie was pulled tighter around his neck and boiling water repeatedly poured over his naked body.The repulsive torture of a disabled 17-year-old was shown on a shocking video played at Nottingham Crown Court where the ringleader - who filmed part of the young man's sickening ordeal - was sentenced to 16 years.
Brandon Whelpton, 23, showed no emotion as his sentenced was explained - 12 years and nine months in prison and an extended licence of three years and three months on his release - for causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Judge Steven Coupland told him in the dock: "I have no hesitation in deciding you are dangerous." Defendants Jake West; Luke West; James Cooper and Tony Cole pleaded guilty to false imprisonment.
The video was only a small part of the torture and bullying, which went on for close to three hours last September, after all five defendants turned on the teenager.
"He became a toy," said Gareth Gimson, prosecuting.
"A plaything to be humiliated at will by these men and, the Crown would submit, tortured.
"This was for fun.
He was ridiculed, accused of being a snitch and a grass and a thief.
"The Crown submit it was all nonsense; a pretext for a vicious and quite cruel act on this young man." The teenager was stripped to his boxer shorts and a tie placed around his neck.
Whelpton punched and kicked him, stabbed him with a butter knife and urinated on him.
He boiled a kettle and poured water over him four times.
The victim was made to perform duties as a waiter, then lower his boxer shorts, and the tie was pulled tighter around his neck as he was directed to sing "Barbie Girl" by Aqua.
Whelpton, of Danes Close, Arnold, put a knife to his throat and told him to sing along.
"He was frightened and plainly confused," added Mr Gimson.
"He was told by Whelpton 'it will get harder bro'." Whelpton sent a Facebook message to a girl and then made a 50-second video call of the teenager stood in his boxer shorts in a small cluttered kitchen, then crouched in a corner.
The girl said he "looked like he had been beaten up".
Whelpton's voice could be heard saying "get down and stay down".
He told the girl "this is what happens when you grass".
The victim could be heard saying "no, please stop" and the contents of a steaming kettle were emptied over him as he was screaming and crying.
Whelpton sent her a further message to the girl, referring to someone called Matt, saying "tell Matt, he's next".
The teenager woke up the next morning and went for a walk.
He did not return home until midnight where his carer's partner realised he needed to go to hospital.
He suffered four percent burns to his body - one percent of which were described as deep burns - and he had bruising and cuts.
A victim impact statement revealed the teenager said: "The whole thing was frightening." When asked by a police officer what was frightening about it, he replied "getting kettled".
And he said: "I felt like hanging myself I was so scared."
