A gang of thugs preyed on drunk lone men walking the streets of Manchester city centre, before plundering thousands of pounds from their bank accounts.
Unsuspecting young men in their 20s, who were trying to secure a taxi home, were offered lifts before being bundled into the back of a car and forced to handover huge sums of money.
Almost £9,000 was stolen from the four victims, with one being kidnapped and held in an Audi vehicle for more than an hour. They were all left terrified, and some even blamed themselves for being 'naïve' or 'daft'.
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The ringleader of the conspiracy, Abdul Rehman, 29, fled the country before he faced justice, Manchester Crown Court heard. Two others avoided jail after a judge said there were 'exceptional circumstances' in their case.
Prosecutors told how the crimes took place in September 2018, when students were travelling to the city for the new academic year. The gang travelled around in an Audi and targeted 'lone drunk males' in Manchester city centre, prosecutor Andy Evans said.
"Whilst it cannot be said definitively that their targets were students, the offences took place in September, at the beginning of the first term at most of city’s universities, and on each occasion the direction of travel was from popular bars and clubs on Deansgate back towards areas with high concentrations of student accommodation around Fallowfield," he said.
"The method was to approach the target in a car. At first the perpetrators would appear friendly, offering a lift home or asking for directions, as a means to get the target into the back of the car, where he would quickly realise he was surrounded and outnumbered.
Once inside, a fairly amicable car journey would take place until the group found a way to get the target’s phone, either with the banking app open and unlocked or by threats of violence until they gave up the app password or passcode.
"From there he would be stripped of his wallet, phone, any PIN or passcode and swiftly dumped from the car." The 'lead player' in the conspiracy was Rehman, Mr Evans told the court, but he said Rehman's co-defendants Mukthar Ali, 23, Mohammad Qumer, 23, and Masum Chowdhury, 28, also played significant roles.
"All three men were instrumental in the pressuring of the complainants to give up possessions and information to allow Rehman access to their money, and all three were aware that this was the plan," Mr Evans said. The first victim was taken advantage of after 3am on September 18, 2018, while he was looking for a taxi home on Deansgate Locks.
He came across the men, who he thought were 'nice lads'. They offered him a lift and later asked him to transfer £5 as payment.
But his phone was snatched and he was forced to open his banking app. A total of £1,930 was transferred into Rehman's account, and the gang sped off.
He later said of his ordeal: "In the days following the incident I was in turmoil. It was what I can only describe as a horrendous period in my life. The incident hit me hard, it left me questioning myself and my judgement.
"I felt so vulnerable, I realised anything could have happened to me. I realise how naïve I was to think that these people were being friendly and kind. I can’t understand why they would do this to people, befriend them and then steal their possessions and money."
The next day their second victim was drunk and looking for his hotel on Peter Street after 2am. He got into a car after the men asked him for directions to a nightclub.
His phone and wallet were stolen while he was driven around for 15 minutes, before being dumped in Burnage. Over the following hours, £254 was spent using stolen bank cards.
He later said: “I feel ashamed that I did what I did. I know I shouldn’t have done it and looking back I think I realised what I was doing was daft. What has happened to me has gone now but I hope that providing this statement may prevent someone else being in the same position."
On September 20, the gang struck twice in a night. One man was picked up on Deansgate after 2am as he tried to flag down a black cab. He was kept in the car against his will before he was able to 'escape' more than an hour later.
He was threatened that he'd be killed if he didn't comply. In total he had £3,240 stolen from his bank account.
Another man was picked up by the gang at Deansgate Locks after 3am, after asking if he needed a taxi. He was driven to Fallowfield and left there at about 4am, after having £3,000 stolen from his account.
Police were alerted and spotted the Audi containing the four men on Deansgate. They were arrested but only appeared in the crown court two years later.
After further delays in the courts the case eventually finalised on Thursday morning (May 18). "These were serious offences which richly deserve an immediate custodial sentence," the judge, Recorder Andrew Long said. "The city of Manchester has a substantial student population.
"Those who seek to prey on them when they are at their most vulnerable must expect severe punishment." But the judge said it was able to take an 'exceptional' course of action and spare Ali and Qumer from being sent to jail.
He said the case had been hanging over them for a significant period, and that they had matured and committed no further offences since September 2018. "I have no doubt that you feel older and wiser than you did when you were 18-years-old," the judge added.
Qumer, of Clee Avenue, Longsight, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 180 hours of unpaid work. Ali, of Heston Avenue, Longsight, was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 180 hours of unpaid work.
Chowdhury, Mauldeth Road West, Withington, will be sentenced next week. Rehman, formerly of Golborne Avenue, Didsbury, fled the country after pleading guilty. He remains on the run.
All four men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob, conspiracy to defraud and kidnap.
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