Users Question Shipping Container Torture Convicts' 'Soft' Sentences After Kidnapping Man for Dating Their Sister

The four men who kidnapped and locked a 21-year-old man inside a shipping container have been jailed for a combined total of almost 30 years. They've been identified as gang members Shayyan Hussain, 24, Faheem Chohan, 23, and Ehteshan Hussain, 22, who were each jailed for seven-and-a-half years, while Jawad Hussain, 21, received seven years.

The kidnapping occurred along Telford Street on 29 December, where the gang would proceed to torture him on camera over his relationship with one of their sisters.

Shrewsbury Crown Court's decision brewed anger among the online community, with what most are saying are 'lenient' sentences, compared to the crime they've committed. One user on Reddit stated, 'They all got 7 years each, pathetic.'

Recalling the Kidnapping

The court heard that the unnamed victim was dragged from outside his house in Arleston by the four gang members, who were wearing masks. He would be bundled into the boot of the gang's black Audi A4 with his legs hanging out, as the car took off to a storage unit in Eyton.

Prosecutor Jack Guise told the court that the storage unit, which was leased by Ehteshan Hussain, was chosen because it's out of public view.

Once the 21-year-old was brought inside, he was reportedly stripped, tied to a chair, and repeatedly punched in the face, all while being filmed. According to the prosecution, the gang would also order their victim to apologise to the sister's father.

The gang left the victim restrained and demanded £20,000 ($26,676) from his family, threatening he wouldn't come home if they didn't pay.

A Daring Escape That Shed Light on the Attack

Prosecutors revealed how the victim was able to escape when the gang briefly moved him into a car to drive towards North Shropshire. As the attackers were momentarily outside the vehicle, the 21-year-old took the chance to drive himself away after noticing the keys still in the ignition.

The man drove to a takeaway in Whitchurch, where the staff were able to contact the police. All suspects were eventually identified by the victim, and detectives managed to recover video evidence of the torture, which helped confirm the claims.

A Sentence Too 'Lenient'

The Shrewsbury Crown Court ruling sparked widespread backlash on social media, with many criticising the suspects' roughly seven-year sentences. Commentators argue that a case involving kidnapping, physical assault, filmed degradation, and a £20,000 ($26,676) equal heavier sentences.

One user questioned, 'Is there a single person in the country that is happy with our ridiculously lax sentencing? I bet it would be difficult to find a single person (other than the judges). Why do we not rise up and change this nonsense?'

Another commentator stated that the judge gave them an incredibly light sentence for what they did. 'They sent a torture video to the family...Why are the sentences so light?' he added.

People have also pointed out how the victim escaped only by his own quick thinking and not because his captors relented. As debate over the sentencing continues, West Mercia Police have not indicated whether further charges are expected, and it remains unclear whether any of the four men intend to appeal their sentences.