Man jailed for hot water attack

Khan's barrister said his drug addiction was responsible for his behaviour

A man has been jailed for 11 years for his part in a robbery in which a woman dripped boiling water on to their victim as they demanded his cash card.

Steven Khan, 41, of no fixed address, punched, kicked and stood on 61-year-old Trevor Marsden at his home in Leeds in July.

Anne Marie Wall, 30, also of no fixed address, then splashed water from a freshly boiled kettle on to his groin.

The pair admitted robbery at Leeds Crown Court last month.

Wall's sentencing was adjourned till a later date for psychiatric reports to be made.

Sentencing Khan, Judge Ian Dobkin said the attack was "nasty and vicious".

The court heard how Khan and Wall carried out the assault and took Mr Marsden's cash card from his trousers, despite him repeatedly telling them he only had £4 in his bank account.

Khan then tied Mr Marsden's hands and legs with a telephone wire and put him in a cupboard while the pair went to a cash machine to try to withdraw money with the stolen card.

This offence would send shivers down the spines of people who live by themselves Judge Ian Dobkin

When they discovered their victim only had £3.54 in his account, they returned to his first-floor flat, apologised, gave him his cash card and danced to music for a short while as he watched, the court was told.

Mr Marsden suffered 4% burns to his groin, upper thigh and fingers on both hands and received treatment at Leeds General Infirmary.

Judge Dobkin said: "This offence would send shivers down the spines of people who live by themselves and are older people."

He continued: "This was a disgraceful piece of behaviour. Frightening, nasty, vicious piece of behaviour... It may well be that you were not initially responsible for the idea of the water, but you did nothing to stop it. You were part of that as much as anybody else."

In mitigation, barrister Richard Woolfall told the court Khan's drug addiction was largely responsible for the way he behaved that day.

Mr Woolfall said Khan was genuinely remorseful.