Men jailed after torture attack

The court heard Mr Richards had dozens of injuries

A pair of thieves who tied up a man and tortured him for several hours have been jailed for six years each.

Victim Michael Richards, 45, suffered injuries "literally from top to toe", the High Court in Edinburgh was told.

Yusuf Ali, 34, and Brian Glancy, 34, slashed Mr Richards with a knife and beat him with a hammer as they demanded money.

Ali, of South Sloan Street, and Glancy, of Peffer Place, both Edinburgh, pleaded guilty to attacking Mr Richards, robbing him of £85 and valium tablets and attempting to extort more money from him.

Balcony escape

An allegation that they also tried to give him electric shocks by wiring him up to a table lamp was withdrawn.

Mr Richards' ordeal ended when his girlfriend Juanita Docherty, 26, returned to the Edinburgh flat during the torture session.

She managed to dial 999 after sneaking a mobile phone into the toilet.

Police broke into the flat in Lochend House but the two robbers fled by climbing from the balcony to the balcony above.

Ali was caught when he tried to climb down again and Glancy was caught when police forced their way into the upstairs flat.

Blood loss

Mr Richards was taken to hospital where doctors treated dozens of injuries which they said were "severe" because of the loss of blood and danger of infection.

Lord Kirkwood was told that medics found eight slashes to Mr Richards' head as well as other cuts and bruises to his face.

There were 17 slash wounds to his right arm and shoulder, said advocate depute Brian McConnachie - one of them more than a foot long.

Both knees had been slashed and there were two other knife wounds to his legs, including a 13cm gash to the sole of his left foot.

Matters escalated into a violent episode which Glancy now regrets Alex Prentice, Solicitor for Glancy

The court heard that Ms Docherty and Mr Richards, both from England, were staying with an acquaintance in Lochend House and had previously lent Ali £20, keeping his passport as security.

In the early hours of 14 May they came to the door and Mr Richards let them in, thinking they wanted to see the man who lived there.

But the two followed him into his bedroom and began their attack, tying Mr Richards up with washing line.

Ali, armed with a knife and a hammer, demanded his passport.

Prolonged attack

They also went through Mr Richards' pockets and took his cash, demanding more.

He told police that the hammer and knife attack and the threats had gone on "for hours".

Gordon Jackson QC, defending, said Ali suspected Mr Richards of supplying drugs to his girlfriend who had a history of drug problems but had recently been getting treatment.

Solicitor advocate Alex Prentice, for Glancy, said: "Matters escalated into a violent episode which Glancy now regrets."

Jailing the pair, Lord Kirkwood noted that both had a record for assaults and carrying weapons.