TWO people have been jailed for their roles in the "despicable abuse and torture" of a man they abducted at an Irvine flat.
Mark Simpson and Charli Hodgart were each sentenced to 45 months in prison when they appeared at the High Court in Glasgow last week.
A judge told the attackers: "This was an act of cruelty the likes of which I have never come across before and hope to never see again."
Meanwhile, the man who "controlled" the violent ordeal, Cieran Rochford, is still awaiting his fate, but was warned that he could be facing around a decade behind bars.
The trio all appeared in the dock having previously pleaded guilty following the incident on July 27 and 28, 2023, at a flat in the Sloan Avenue area.
Rochford, aged 31, Simpson, 20, and 21-year-old Hodgart all admitted abducting the victim, who they locked within the property, refusing to let him leave and detaining him against his will.
They also admitted assaulting the man, shouting and swearing at him and threatening both he and his family.
The attackers also repeatedly struck him on the head with hair clippers, a plate, a glass bottle, flicked cigarette ash onto his body and repeatedly stamped on his head.
He was left permanently disfigurement after the life-endangering attack.
Court papers stated that the victim was robbed of a bank card, sets of keys, a mobile phone and money.
Rochford admitted holding a knife to the victim's neck, striking him on the head and body with the blade and attempting to gouge his eye out with the same weapon.
Judge William Gallacher ordered a risk assessment to be completed before sentencing Rochford, with a lifelong restriction order being considered due to his criminal record.
“It is an utterly despicable act," he said.
Advocate Lesley Anderson said Simpson is "a young man who struggles to engage with others".
She said: "He had just turned 18 days before this offence. He was homeless and living on streets.
"He ran into Rochford and got involved in offending. He was frightened of his co-accused and found himself in a situation.
"His culpability should be seen as considerably less. The man in control was not Simpson."
Ms Anderson then asked Judge Gallacher to consider a "high intensity" community-based sentence; however, this was dismissed as "verging on preposterous".
Defending Hodgart, advocate Laura Radcliffe said that her client acknowledged her role in the offence.
She said: "There is acceptance on her behalf that this offence is absolutely nothing other than a brutal, prolonged, savage attack. She absolutely accepts the consequences of pleading guilty to this charge as she did.
"All I can say in respect of mitigation is her involvement in this incident is something that she deeply regrets.
"She had minimal involvement in actual violence perpetrated but she was there, did little to assist and made comments."
Sentencing both, Judge Gallacher said: “You were involved in a process in which you were acting together. This man was abused, tortured and attacked in the most insidious and cruel way for hours on end.
“After escaping, he was found – by members of the public – dishevelled and was assisted and taken to hospital. You were responsible for that.
“I have listened carefully to what has been said on your behalf by both of your lawyers. Your capacity does not take away from the level of harm caused to this individual."
The judge then highlighted that he will be considering a sentence of around 10 years for Rochford upon his return to court.
He continued: “I have to deal with the fact you are young offenders, pleaded guilty to lesser charges and have lesser criminal backgrounds – so I can deal with you in a different way.
“If you were adults, this could have been five years. Because of your age, this will be limited in both cases.”
Simpson and Hodgart were both ordered to spend almost four years in prison, backdated to March 31 last year for Simpson, who previously spent time remanded in custody.
Both will also be subject to a supervised release order for 12 months.
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