A woman was kidnapped and repeatedly hurt by a group led by a money lender during a "disturbing and cruel" ordeal in Oldham.
Janzib Rigby, Kimberley Green, Marshall Atkinson, Cody McGiffen and a 17-year-old boy all appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Monday (January 26) and Tuesday (January 27) for a two-day sentencing.
The court heard that on January 7 last year, the victim, a drug addict and vulnerable woman, was on Victoria Street, Lees, when she was spotted by Green, 43.
The victim owed money to Rigby, a known money lender, and he had instructed Green to invite the victim into her home and keep her there until he arrived.
Green told the victim there was an urgent call for her and invited her in out of the freezing cold before Rigby, 30, arrived with Atkinson, McGiffen and the 17-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Over the course of the afternoon and evening, Atkinson, who was 17 at the time, and the teenage boy, who was 16 at the time, injured the victim on dozens of occasions with an electric shock device under the instruction of Rigby, who demanded the victim pay her debt to him.
Neil Fryman, prosecuting alongside Phillip Hall, told the court Atkinson filmed 30 videos on his phone showing the victim being shocked to her face, head and body, and sent messages bragging to people about the cruelty he was inflicting.
At one point, the victim was taken upstairs by Green, who carried out a strip search, robbing her of £450.
The victim was then moved from Green's address to a property on Wildmoor Avenue on the Holts estate, before she was taken to the Saddleworth moors later in the evening.
At one point, the victim was let out of a car with little clothing and in snowy conditions while the group drove around her and shocked her.
Mr Fryman told the court of the "humiliation and degrading treatment" of the victim who was "tasered repeatedly" before she eventually returned home at 11pm.
'I've spiralled out of control'
In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim said she now suffered from complex post-traumatic stress disorder, hallucinations and flashbacks as a result of the incident.
The court also heard the victim had tried to take her life on several occasions since the incident.
The victim said: "I've spiralled out of control and find it difficult to function on a daily basis."
'Extremely grave' offences
Hugh Barton, defending Rigby, said the qualified electrician and father-of-two had lived a crime-free life before late 2023, when he began suffering mental health problems which led to a change in his behaviour.
Mr Barton admitted Rigby's offences were "extremely grave" but he was "determined to return to the lifestyle he used to live", saying Rigby was "ashamed and full of remorse".
The court heard that Green, a mother-of-five represented by Ronan Maguire, had suffered with mental health issues and traumatic events and had misused substances at times in her life.
John Richards, representing Atkinson, said the now 18-year-old was "scared" of Rigby, adding that he had suffered from child neglect and had been exposed to violence, which had desensitised him to it.
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Mr Richards said Atkinson, who partly carried out the abuse of the victim, had described his own behaviour as "disgraceful and disgusting".
The court heard McGiffen, defended by Neil Ronan, did not inflict any violence on the victim, suffered from serious mental health issues and had expressed genuine remorse for the victim.
Benjamin Knight, defending the 17-year-old boy, said the teenager had dealt with "adverse child experiences" including emotional neglect and that learning difficulties he had meant he was "playing life on hard mode".
'Utterly inhumane'
Judge Sarah Johnston said in her sentencing remarks that the victim was subjected to a "frightening and humiliating ordeal" and the treatment of her was "utterly inhumane" as well as "disturbing and cruel".
She said the defendants "had nothing but contempt" for the victim who was vulnerable and that the events had had a "profound effect" on her.
Judge Johnston said Rigby's remorse was "superficial" and said he came up with a "malevolent plan" to recover money from the victim, which involved recruiting children.
The judge said she did not accept that Green had been coerced into the offending, while adding she acknowledged the difficult childhood and experiences Atkinson, McGiffen and the 17-year-old boy had suffered.
Rigby, of Salisbury Street, Shaw, was jailed for eight years after previously pleading guilty to false imprisonment, robbery and two counts of kidnap. He was also handed a restraining order prohibiting him from contacting the victim.
Green, of Victoria Street, Lees, was jailed for five years after being found guilty of robbery, kidnap and two counts of false imprisonment following a six-week trial last year involving all the defendants.
McGiffen, 18, of Lawn Closes, Oldham, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnap and was found guilty of two counts of false imprisonment and another count of kidnap at the trial.
He was handed an 18-month community order requiring him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and to attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days. He was also given a three-year restraining order against the victim.
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The 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to using the electric shock device and was found guilty of two counts of false imprisonment and one count of kidnap.
He was handed a 12-month youth rehabilitation order, a three-year restraining order against the victim and was ordered to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work and is banned from attending Wildmoor Avenue.
Atkinson, of Wood Crescent, Oldham, pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment, one count of possession of cannabis and using the electric shock device.
He had his sentencing deferred to July this year and was banned from contacting the victim.
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