A woman in distress was enticed to a drug house, where she was bound with electric cables, robbed, and subjected to a brutal assault lasting over six hours by individuals she considered friends. Jeanette Martin, aged 33, and Shevonne Wright, aged 42, orchestrated the attack on the victim at a location frequented by drug users in Harehills, Leeds, on November 16 of the previous year. Testifying via video link from separate rooms at HMP New Hall, the prosecution revealed that Martin had enlisted the victim’s help in decorating a property in Bayswater Grove before leading her to the harrowing ordeal.
According to prosecutor Shannon Woodley, the victim was familiar to both defendants but had relocated from the area when she was lured to the drug den. Woodley recounted in court how Martin brought the victim to a seemingly vacant property cluttered with debris, where she was ushered upstairs to an attic room and instructed to sit down. Wright then entered the room and initiated the assault, with Martin also joining in the violent act.
The victim was subjected to a barrage of punches, and Martin proceeded to strangle her with electrical cables until she lost consciousness. Threats of death were made, and the victim, in a state of terror, pleaded for her life and the chance to see her children. The assault persisted, leaving the victim with severe injuries and trauma.
Following the assault, the perpetrators stole £70 in cash, the victim’s bank card, and phone. The victim was coerced into divulging her PIN, and Martin proceeded to withdraw £160 from her bank account while Wright continued to detain the victim against her will. The victim, in her statement, detailed the harrowing experience of being physically and emotionally abused, expressing profound fear and anguish over the incident.
Wright and Martin were later apprehended, with DNA evidence linking them to the crime scene and their phones containing incriminating conversations related to the assault. The court proceedings unveiled the defendants’ criminal histories, showcasing a pattern of wrongdoing. Subsequently, both individuals were sentenced to six years and two months in prison, accompanied by indefinite restraining orders to prevent contact with the victim.
The victim’s poignant testimony highlighted the lasting impact of the assault, including profound emotional distress and ongoing trauma. The sentencing judge condemned the severity of the planned attack, underscoring the gravity of the offense and the enduring consequences for the victim.
