A group of cowardly bullies, led by Daniel Aston and Shannon Wolleter, who deceived and assaulted their own friend in a honeytrap scam have been incarcerated.
The court labelled the four assailants as “animals” after they assaulted their pal over a £150 debt.
Daniel Aston, 33, and his former girlfriend Shannon Wolleter devised the scheme in collaboration with 61-year-old Steven Baker and his son Matthew Baker.
The group focused on their acquaintance Anthony Cooper due to their disapproval of his girlfriend and his debt of £150 to them.
They devised a complex trap for Anthony Cooper, with Shannon Wolleter as bait.
Shannon Wolleter starting messaging Anthony Cooper, feigning interest in him.
The individuals scheduled a meeting on October 3, 2021, for a “sexual encounter” at 8:12 PM.
Upon his arrival, he was forcibly removed off the street and transported in a silver Mercedes. The gang began to label Mr. Anthony Cooper as a paedophile, rapist, and sex criminal without any justification.
Baker said, “Come here, you little c***,” before assaulting Anthony Cooper, while Matthew Baker menaced to sever the charity worker’s legs.
Matthew Baker turned the corner, where his son Matthew Baker and Daniel Aston entered the vehicle, and promptly commenced assaulting the victim.
Matthew Baker Junior menaced Mr. Cooper with threats to sever his legs and excise his tongue, while Daniel Aston brandished a knife and pressed it on his throat.
The group transported the victim to another acquaintance at David Bambrough’s flat in Small Heath, when “the assault escalates,” stated Mr Stewart.
Matthew Baker assaulted Mr Cooper by striking him thrice on the head with a tyre iron and additionally attacked him with a wooden object.
After 20 minutes, David Bambrough grew apprehensive that his neighbour might notify the authorities, prompting the first four abductors to compel the victim back into the Mercedes and transport him to a parking lot adjacent to Four Dwellings Academy in Quinton.
They proceeded to assault him, with Wolleter delivering five kicks to Mr. Anthony Cooper’s abdomen and groin.
While the Bakers and Aston assaulted him, the victim exclaimed, ‘you’re hurting me,’ to which Steven Baker responded, ‘excellent, you deserve it.’
Matthew Baker transmitted videos of the incident to other individuals on social media upon arriving at a friend’s flat.
In response to an inquiry on the object used to strike the victim, Baker stated: ‘LOL a hammer.’
Ultimately, Mr. Anthony Cooper was once more placed into the Mercedes and deposited near his residence, but not before Aston confiscated his phone and bank card.
He successfully navigated back to his residence but collapsed on his threshold, where his friends discovered him.
The man was sent to the hospital and received treatment for multiple injuries, including a 15 cm laceration to his head that exposed his skull.
Judge Dean Kershaw, presiding over Birmingham Crown Court, denounced the group as “animals” and characterised their conduct as “cowardly, premeditated, and despicable.”
Aston received a sentence of five years and eight months, whereas Wolleter was sentenced to two years and ten months.
Steven Baker and his son Matthew Baker received terms of three years and nine months.
David Bambrough, 41, received a six-month suspended sentence for permitting the group to utilise his flat during the assault.
Anthony Cooper encountered the group via a homelessness charity and regarded everyone of them as pals.
Nevertheless, the friendship deteriorated when he established a romantic relationship with a woman named Bethany Love.
The prosecution, Lachlan Stewart, said that this caused the sinister gang to start calling Anthony Cooper nasty names.
Mr Stewart said: “Steven Baker saw her like a daughter. There was also a suggestion Matthew Baker may have been in a relationship with her in the past.
“The group started going around calling Mr Anthony Cooper a paedo, a rapist and sex offender entirely without basis.”
Anthony Cooper opened up about how the incident has left him unable to trust the people he cares about in his life.
He said: “What makes things worse is I thought all the people involved were my friends.
“It really made me not want to make more friends.
“When it was happening I thought I was going to die.
“I have never been so scared in all my life.”
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