Man accused of vandalism tortured and 'branded with heated machete' over broken car window

A man was held prisoner in a crack den, tortured and beaten for hours after being falsely accused of breaking the window of a Mercedes car, a court heard.

The victim was punched, beaten with a baseball bat and a machete, and branded with the heated blade of the machete, a jury was told.

Three defendants accused of carrying out the attack on Wednesday changed their pleas.

Prosecutor Francis Lloyd told Luton Crown Court the victim was in Ash Road in Luton when he was approached by Safed Rafiq who said: “It was you all along.”

The victim said he did not know what he was talking about, but later learned he was being accused of smashing the window of Idnan Akbar’s Mercedes.

He was taken to an upstairs room of a crack house in the street where it was alleged three defendants - Rafiq, Akbar and Dawud Safeen - along with at least one other person, attacked him.

When he denied he had broken the window they carried on beating him up.

Mr Lloyd said one of the other people in the house called the police. When they arrived he was found terrified and shaken on a bed.

Rafiq, 37, from Luton; Safeen, 25, from Peterborough and Akbar, 32, of Luton pleaded guilty to false imprisonment on 29 November 2021.

Rafiq and Akbar also pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent. Safeen pleaded guilty not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

Mr Lloyd said those pleas were acceptable. He said the crown would not proceed with a charge of intimidation against Safed Rafiq and Naveed Rafiq, 32, also of Claremont Road, Luton.

Judge Steven Evans adjourned sentence until 13 January for reports on future risk to be prepared.

The three defendants who pleaded guilty were remanded in custody.

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