Bordering upon sadistic torture: Four locked up for "appalling" attacks on disabled m
 

The attackers - who he considered his friends - battered him with a cricket bat and a metal dumbbell bar and punched him repeatedly
Three men who inflicted "appalling violence" on a vulnerable man with learning disabilities have today been locked up.

The attackers - who he considered his friends - battered him with a cricket bat and a metal dumbbell bar and punched him repeatedly.

The offences only came to light when David Busby's landlord noticed his injuries and took him to hospital where he was found to have 14 fractured ribs, a displaced breastbone and a broken shoulder blade.

Mr Busby, 29, was preyed upon after he was initially helped by 37-year-old mother-of-three Christina Walsh.

She invited him into her home in Accrington, Lancashire, and helped him with cooking, washing and his finances.

He became a regular visitor as he enjoyed playing video games with her family.

But she later encouraged a month-long catalogue of abuse from her husband Ross Walsh, 30, and friends Sohail Abbas, 20, and his brother, Faran Abbas, 18.

Judge Andrew Woolman said the victim also suffered multiple bruises across his body, particularly to the groin, all of which were too numerous to count.

Jailing Ross Walsh for 10 years at Burnley Crown Court, he ruled that he was the "prime motivator" in inflicting the majority of the injuries that he labelled "appalling violence".

Sohail Abbas was sentenced to five years in a young offender institute, while Faran Abbas, who hit Mr Busby once or twice, received three-and-a-half years' detention.

Christina Walsh was jailed for five years after she stood by witnessing the violence and allowing it to continue.

All four were found guilty of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent between July and August last year after a 12-day trial.

The judge said Ross Walsh displayed behaviour which "bordered upon sadistic torture" when he held a knife to Mr Busby in the cellar of his home, while on another occasion he stood on his chest until he could not breathe.

He said Mr Busby's disability was partly why he was targeted, because the offenders knew he would not complain to anyone.

He added that he was also seen as a source of cash.

Judge Woolman said: "In his victim impact statement, he (Mr Busby) has described how he has recovered from his physical injuries but no doubt he has sustained dreadful psychological harm.

"The trust he placed in the Walshes was appalling betrayed."

Bron:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...attacks-1474522

Eigen mening:
Het is toch ondenkbaar dat mensen geweld kunnen gebruiken tegen mensen met een leerstoornis of eender welke mentale achterstand, hier slaat men een man bont en blauw puur voor de lol. Waar gaat het naartoe met de wereld als men dit al gaat doen, dit is misbruik maken van mensen en de straffen die volgen zijn niet meer dan juist.