An Islamic convert and a fellow gang member were today (Monday) found guilty of imprisoning, stripping and torturing two men with an iron.
The verdict was delivered at Kingston Crown Court, where James Edwards, 22, of London Road, Croydon, and Rushdie Said, 21, of Peterborough Road, Fulham, were on trial for false imprisonment and malicious or unlawful wounding with intent of GBH.
The jury found the pair were part of a group of six or seven involved in an argument on the Cambridge Road estate on July 3, 2009.
Edwards, known as Lappa and a member of estate gang ICE, according to police, and Said were part of the gang which approached Dimitri Vernon and Liam Redknapp on the estate and asked what they had on them.
The gang also asked where they were from.
When Mr Vernon said he was from Hounslow, they were told to “get out of this area, before you get moved”.
Feeling intimidated, they left to a female friend’s flat on the estate.
When in the flat, Mr Redknapp was bragging by the window, and said: “I’ve still got my £500 on me, they didn’t do nothing. They couldn’t do nothing to me.”
His claims were heard by the group outside and a “black guy” climbed through and punched Mr Redknapp in the face, the court heard.
He fell to the floor and covered his head with his hands, at which point two more men climbed through the window and asked who had the £500.
Mr Vernon said he saw the handle of a knife on one of the men.
The men ordered Mr Vernon and Mr Redknapp to strip and they ended up with just their pants and socks on, the court was told.
Mr Redknapp said: “I heard someone say 'teach the boys a lesson'.”
They were told to lie on the bed face down and were restrained at their hands and legs - Mr Redknapp said Edwards held his arm and another man held his legs.
Mr Vernon told the court he thought he was going to die that night and never see his parents again.
One of the men said to them: “You can either be shot, stabbed or ironed.”
Another man said: “Killing them is too easy.”
They were given a choice about who would be burned first and Mr Redknapp was steamed on his back a couple of times.
Mr Vernon said Mr Redknapp was screaming while an Asian guy in the room stood by laughing. He was later identified as Edwards.
Mr Vernon said: “I just knew it was going to happen to me next.”
He told the court: “I clenched my teeth and the iron was hot on my skin. I was grinding my teeth and shouting.”
When he got up he was punched in the face and Edwards asked him whether he would like the iron on his face or stomach.
Mr Vernon begged them not to, but they put it against his left cheek, the court heard.
A traumatised Mr Vernon called his mother on the way home but did not call police or seek medical attention until about 6am.
Even in hospital, he was too scared to tell the truth about his injuries but reported it a few days later, the court heard.
Mr Redknapp did not seek medical attention and Judge Nicholas Price said: “When he woke up his back had nothing on it. It was literally stuck to the carpet.”
He did not get medical help because he was on the run from the police and said he was still in pain three or four months later.
He also identified Edwards and Said and told the court he was 110 per cent sure of their identification.
Both defendants denied being at the flat. Said could not recall where he was on the night, but said he had never been to the flat, or on the Cambridge Road estate.
Edwards said he was with his brothers, marking the anniversary of his father’s death.
He told the court he then stopped for food at On the Run because his friend Musa Musa, who he was due to stay with, had not returned from clubbing.
Edwards said fingerprints found around the window of the flat were from a previous visit to the girl's flat, but failed to convince the jury.
Edwards and Said will be sentenced on May 7.
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