Five gang members who left a Rotherham man to die after torturing him in a cellar have been jailed
Adam Clapham, 31, was tied to a chair, beaten with a hammer, attacked with a machete and had boiling water poured over him after ยฃ300 of drugs money went missing from the property at Spring Street, Rotherham.
Appearing at Sheffield Crown Court, four men Arbab Yusuf, aged 24, Muhammad Ashraf, 18, Kieron Millar, 30, Robert Crookes, 31 and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons were sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of his murder.
Ashraf, Crookes and the 17-year-old were also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, false imprisonment and rape.
Millar was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent and false imprisonment along with Lynette Myers, 39.
During the trial jurors heard how Mr Clapham and another man were captured and assaulted before being forced to perform sex acts on each other while being filmed.
The second victim managed to escape and was found seriously injured.
Mr Claphamโs body was found in a sleeping bag within the basement of a property on Spring Street in September last year. He had suffered more than 200 injuries, including 52 to his head.
The judge, Mr Justice Dove, said the horrific incident illustrated the โappalling consequences of the drugs trade in our communitiesโ.
He highlighted the โsadistic elementโ of the incident, saying it was a โrelentless, sadistic attackโ adding: โThe suffering inflicted on (Mr Clapham) is difficult to imagine.โ
In a statement read to the court, Mr Claphamโs mother said:
โThe death of Adam has impacted the whole family, he leaves behind a seven-year-old daughter, who he will never see develop into a young woman, who he will never see get married or have children of her own. This leaves a seven-year-old fatherless and having to process the loss of her dad.
โAdam also leaves behind a loving father and sister, and several nieces and nephews who are all devastated. We as a family are still trying to come to terms with what has happened, but I doubt we ever will. When Adam died, a part of me died with him. I will never be the same.
โAdam was a kind, gentle man and he would not hurt anyone. I cannot put into words how much we miss him. Adam we love you, always have, always will and until we meet again you will forever be in our hearts.โ
