Black immigrant gang faces jail and deportation

Matthew Moore:

Three armed robbers who kidnapped and tortured their victims with "sadistic and gratuitous" violence have been jailed for life.

Described by police as one of the most brutal gangs to operate in London in recent years, they toured the streets with knives, guns and baseball bats, beating their victims senseless as if they were "characters in a video game".

Judge Witold Pawlak, sentencing, said that all three were "addicted to violence", and recommended that they be deported.

"Your continued presence in the UK is a real threat to the public. You have increased the risk to the public as your crimes are serious and brutal." he said.

Robert Lincoln, 18, from Barking, Essex, is originally from Jamaica, while Sofian Majera, 22, from Dagenham, is Somalian, and Peter Frota, 19, also from Barking, is a Portugese national.

Frota's older brother Luis, 22, a former amateur footballer, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for his much lesser role in the gang, and also faces deportation.

London's Wood Green Crown Court heard how the gang threatened their victims - usually single men - with horrific violence as they beat them.

Some were told that their eyes would be gouged out or they would be burned alive if they did not hand over their PINs.

One man, so paralysed by fear he could not tell his attackers what they wanted to know, had his arm stamped on until it broke.

All four, who have a total of 36 previous convictions between them, showed no emotion as they were led to the cells.

Outside court one of those they attacked, Paul Mitchell, a 48-year-old contract manager from Harlow, Essex, welcomed the prospect of them being kicked out of Britain.

"These men have contributed nothing to this country since they arrived here... all they have done is commit crime," he said.

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