'Torture victim' left scared of everything

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'Torture victim' left scared of everything

Exclusive by Britton and Tom -Pollock

October 12, 2010

The family of a vulnerable teenager who suffered a horrific three-day 'torture'

ordeal at the hands of three thugs who were spared jail has spoken of his

" nightmares " and said he has lost trust in others.

Speaking after Jack Bolton, and Marshall – who beat their

17-year-old victim while filming the attacks on a mobile phone – were given

community service orders, the teenager's aunt said her nephew had gone from

being " very trusting " to being " scared of everything " following his ordeal.

The victim's grandmother summed up widespread anger that Bolton, and

Marshall, who are all 18 and from Eccles, did not go prison by telling the

M.E.N. their sentences were " a joke " .

" I just don't know what sort of message this sends out, " she said.

And the M.E.N. website has received dozens of comments from outraged members of

the public who think the three thugs should have been locked up.

Judge Geake gave the three teenagers community service orders and

three-month curfews at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court despite saying

their actions were " grotesque " and could " almost be called torture " .

The boy's aunt said that the three-day attack on her nephew, who has Asperger's

Syndrome, had just been the tip of the iceberg – and has forced him to move out

of Greater Manchester.

" The attacks were not over a period of days. It was a period of weeks. The

events that were filmed were the ones over a couple of days but it had been

going on for a lot longer than that. They are three bullies and they are known

for it. They are scum, " said the aunt.

The victim had initially been friends with his tormentors but started to come

home with bruises in the weeks leading up to the three-day attack, which took

place at Bolton's home on Winchester Road, Ellesmere Park, Eccles in May this

year.

The terrified teenager's parents were away on holiday at the time.

His aunt said that he had been " just too scared " to report the initial beatings

and had said they were the result of " play fighting and falls " but she knew

something was wrong when he came home with a trainer print on his face.

" He is very trusting and he trusts everyone. He thinks that everyone wants to be

his friend and people like these lads do not exist, " she said.

" But now he has nightmares and he does not trust people. He is scared of

everything really and now this lot are free to walk the streets. "

The MEN yesterday revealed the scale of the attacks – which included pelting him

with dog mess, forcing him to drink alcohol until he passed out and putting tape

on his genital area before ripping it off.

Hazel Blears, MP for Salford and Eccles, also attacked the sentences as " not a

just sentence for what these people did " , saying the court had ignored the

sexual nature of the crimes.

Ms Blears told the MEN: " I was shocked that the judge has allowed these thugs to

walk the streets of Salford.

" The nature of the acts committed against this young man are horrific. This

young man has been driven out of the city and the perpetrators are walking round

free. It should be the other way round.

" There is a sexual element to these offences – did the judge not consider making

the culprits sign the Sex Offenders Register. "

She said she would raise the sentences with the justice secretary, Ken e.

The victim's aunt said he had been forced to move from Salford in an attempt to

rebuild his life following the attacks.