Vigilante father and son kidnap 'bike thief' and threaten to carve postcode in his forehead

[Peikko 1,575]

A father and son bundled a schoolboy into the back of a Mercedes and drove him to a 'forest' to terrorise him for allegedly stealing their bike.

Anthony Lee, 41, and his 15-year-old son threatened to carve E16 - the postcode for Canning Town in London - into the lad's forehead as punishment.

The 14-year-old boy suffered multiple injuries in the kidnapping including bruising, cuts, a fractured finger and the loss of parts of three upper teeth.

Anthony Lee, his son and friend Louwis Harris threatened to carve the E16 postcode into a schoolboy's forehead after he allegedly stole their bike

His terrifying ordeal only came to an end when he broke free from his captors and ran deep into the woods, Inner London Crown Court heard today.

Stephen Requena, prosecuting, said Lee's son's new bicycle was stolen on November 18 last year and the 14-year-old fell under suspicion.

The following day Lee and his son went looking for the culprit with Louwis Harris, 18, in Lee's Mercedes.

They spotted the boy in Canning Town and Harris and the 15-year-old whipped the teenager with dog chains and forced him into the back of the car.

He was driven six miles north to Fairlop Waters Country Park in Essex.

Mr Requena said the boy's mobile phone was taken from him while the father and son threatened to carve E16 on his forehead with a knife.

After escaping, he was treated for bruising, cuts and scratches to his face and body.

He also lost enamel to parts of three upper teeth and fractured a finger.

Lee, of Chigwell, Essex, his son and Harris, of Canning Town, all admitted kidnap and malicious wounding.

Fairlop Waters Country Park in Essex, where the trio took a schoolboy and threatened him with torture

Gillian Jones, defending, said Lee's son was deeply ashamed of what took place.

'He has a complicated relationship with his father. He received a new bike from him but within a very short space of time, through no fault of his own, he lost it.

'He took matters into his own hands. He shouldn't have done so, but perceived he was the person who had been wronged.'

Peter Rowlands, for Harris, said the teenager was easily lead.

'Louwis has considerable problems, he has a low IQ and finds it difficult to think through the consequences of what he does. This wasn't his argument.

'Although he's always had a large frame, he's a bit of a soft target. This encourages him to join anti-social activities.'

The judge, Recorder Peter Rouch QC, said the incident was very frightening for its victim.

'He was attacked by a group of people who spent time planning what was going to happen.

'Weapons, dog chains, were used to whip the victim.

'He was taken against his will to a forest. It was an ordeal which must have been terrifying.'

The judge told Lee: 'You were critical in the most serious aspect of the incident - the forcible taking of the boy to an isolated place.

'Your presence alone must have added to the fear felt by the victim.'

Lee was sentenced to two years in prison, less 300 days already served in custody.

The judge gave Lee's son a 24 month supervision order and Harris 51 weeks in a young offenders' institution - suspended for 18 months.

He also gave Harris 18 months supervision and told him to attend the 'Think First Programme'.

The court heard Lee's son had spent 21 days in a secure unit and has been the subject of a curfew ever since with an electronic tag.

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[Ban Hammer 13,643]

animals

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Is it always the way that the people who insist on taking the law into their own hands are worse than the people they're taking retribution on.

Way to lose perspective - a kid (allegedly) steals your bike, so of course you beat the ####### out of him and take him into the woods to torture him.

Bloody nutters.

[Nagishkaw 510]

igpays.

[mawilson 2,133]

Anthony Lee, 41, and his 15-year-old son threatened to carve E16 - the postcode for Canning Town in London - into the lad's forehead as punishment.

Why not the full postcode - "E16 3DU"?

[furiousng 2]

The dad should rot behind bars!!!!!!!

[_Simpson_ 250]

The dad should rot behind bars!!!!!!!

unless he gets terminally ill of course