Youths tortured family of four

THREE teenagers forced a couple with learning disabilities to perform sex acts on each other as the laughing youths slashed the man with knives, the Old Bailey heard today during what a judge called the most "revolting and disgusting" case he had dealt with in 25 years.

Judge Michael Coombe condemned the "extraordinarily despicable" behaviour of the youths, who put a family of four, including two daughters aged eight and 11, through "terrorism and vicious torture".

They forced the 43-year-old father to drink their urine at knifepoint, rubbed curry powder and kitchen cleaner into their eyes, beat and rubbed salt and pepper into the eyes of the family dog and hurled the cat from an upstairs window.

Louise Kamill, prosecuting, said: "This was a vulnerable family and these three boys decided to muck about with them - it grew into bullying and essentially terrorism and vicious torture."

The family suffered the degrading ordeal at their home in Feltham, west London, over a number of hours on 19 November last year.

A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who had moved in with the family, was convicted by the jury of assault causing actual bodily harm, and conspiracy to cause actual bodily harm. He was cleared of making threats to kill Robert Davenport, 18, of no fixed address, and a 16-year-old boy from Feltham, had already admitted assault, conspiracy to assault, making threats to kill and incitement to steal.

Judge Coombe remanded the 17-year-old in custody. All three are due to be sentenced on 23 July.

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