Thugs’ chilling threat to spray acid at mum and son, 4, during terrifying home raid

A gang of armed thugs threatened to spray acid at a mum and her four-year-old son during a terrifying seven-hour raid on their home, a court heard.

The woman opened her front-door to be confronted by two gang members – one in Royal Mail uniform – who were armed with a hammer and burst past her into the house, followed by three others

The men held the woman inside her home in Celandine Road, in the Hamilton area of Leicester and threatened her with knives before telling her they would spray her and her son with acid if she did not hand over the family’s cash.

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During the attack, which began at 10.30am on Tuesday, June 1, the men told her they planned to spray acid in the face of her four-year-old son, who was due home that afternoon.

The child arrived home some time later along with his father and witnessed part of the “terrifying” incident, Leicester Crown Court was told yesterday.

Neil Bannister, prosecuting, said that only one of the gang was captured at the scene, 26-year-old Fadil Anwar Abdirahman.

He was said to have been recruited by an unknown ringleader and masked thug, referred to in court only by the street name, Big Swirl.

Demands were made for cash, from her husband’s crypto currency dealing – but the victim said there was no money in the house, Mr Bannister told the court.

He said Abdirahman had initially pleaded not guilty and was standing trial, which was halted when he suddenly changed his pleas – after the prosecution opening – to admit robbing the woman of jewellery, a mobile phone and other possessions, falsely imprisoning her.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting police officers who attended the scene.

The victim was so petrified, following the ordeal that she emigrated, leaving friends and family behind in Leicester.

She travelled back to the UK expecting to give evidence at the trial, but was spared going into the witness box at the last minute.

Sentencing, Judge Keith Raynor went over the facts of the case, telling the defendant: “You were in Fulham when you met a man, referred to in evidence as Big Swirl, and were recruited, with others, to travel to Leicester to commit a planned raid.”

The judge said the woman householder was alone when a “bogus deliveryman” in Royal Mail attire, arrived with a parcel.

“You and another man, who was armed with a hammer, were standing close by and when she opened the door you both ran inside,” the judge added.

The victim described the defendant as collecting weapons in the house and threatening to hurt her with a knife and saying: “I’m going to put acid in your face.”

She was briefly tied up with rope, by another raider, and detained upstairs. Meanwhile, Abdirahman and another robber mixed what she believed to be blue-coloured acid in a bottle.

The victim later told officers: “He threatened me so many times, with the knife in one hand and the bottle in the other.”

She described one of the men grabbing her face so tightly she was screaming out, saying she could not breathe. Big Swirl, the court heard, was wearing a balaclava and demanding cash.

When her husband and son arrived at 4.15pm they were also held captive for one-and-a-half hours, while further demands and threats were made.

The disturbance at the house was reported to Leicestershire Police shortly before 6pm and officers were sent to investigate, the prosecutor said.

The robbers fled, but Abdirahman was captured and violently assaulted two officers during his arrest.

Pc Sam Munton suffered injuries to his head, elbow and hand and later described it felt like “I was fighting for my life.” The second constable was pushed to the ground.

Judge Raynor told the defendant: “I accept there were times when you didn’t want to be there and appeared to change your mind – but you didn’t leave.

“It was a terrifying experience for the victims and part of it was witnessed by a young child.”

In a victim impact statement the woman said she would never forget the “fear and panic” of the raid, that left her feeling scared for months afterwards and prompted a “rash decision” to uproot and move overseas because she was too frightened to stay in the UK.

She added that she is still fearful when anyone knocks at the door, saying: “It’s taken away my independence and I’m unable to enjoy the small things in life.”

Her son, who saw her being held in an upstairs room by a man with a balaclava, was traumatised and refers to the robbers as Ninjas, she said.

Steven Taylor, mitigating, said Abdirahman had not appreciated the seriousness of what he was getting involved in and was acting under the direction of others.

He came from a respectable, law-abiding family and attained A-levels, before taking up a university place, but did not finish the course.

Apart from one motoring offence, he had no previous convictions.

Mr Taylor said although his client threatened violence, none was used. The blue liquid was not, in fact, acid, the court was told.

Mr Taylor said: “After he changing his pleas to admit guilt, a weight was lifted from him. He’s not a hardened criminal and isn’t the sort of individual that anyone would have expected to get involved in anything like this.”

Abdirahman, of Fulham Court, Fulham Road, London, was jailed for seven years and four months.

Judge Raynor said he could expect to serve two thirds of the sentence, before being eligible for release.

Afterwards, officer in the case, Detective Constable Gemma Allen said: “This was a deeply distressing incident for all those subjected to the violence and threats.

“We are pleased that Abdirahman has admitted his involvement and we hope that this helps the victims come to terms with what happened and move on from the events of that day.

“Officers expect a certain degree of resistance during their duties but no one should be made to feel like their life was in danger. Abdirahman showed the officer no mercy and continued to resist arrest using violence which resulted in the officer sustaining cuts to his head, hands and arms.

“Officers put their lives at risk day in, day out, and some level of violence is expected but to continue lashing out at officers who are simply doing their duty is unacceptable.”

Inquiries are ongoing in relation to the other suspects.

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