Yorkshire charity volunteer 'tortured' in his own home by thugs who made him bark like a dog and poured boiling water over him

James Burkinshaw, 46, and Christopher Sanderson, 35, threatened the defenceless, terrified victim with a knife and made him drink from a dog bowl during a “prolonged and brutal” attack in which he was punched repeatedly and subjected to “gratuitous degradation”, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Nick Adlington said the drug-crazed pair had been invited into the victim’s flat in Westbourne Grove after Sanderson, who was a friend and neighbour, had asked to be let in.

Once inside, they attacked him without warning when first Burkinshaw punched him in the head and then kicked him in the face, knocking two front of his teeth out.

Sanderson then threw boiling water over his head and arm, then hit him over the head with an aftershave bottle and a saucepan.

“They both threatened him with a knife and scissors during the assault and made him bark like a dog and drink water from a bowl like a dog,” said Mr Adlington.

Sanderson took the victim’s mobile phone and Burkinshaw took four or five of his watches, a Kindle tablet, some fountain pens and a bottle of aftershave which he stuffed in a rucksack.

Both men prevented the victim from seeking medical attention for his injuries, which included burns to his arm, shoulder and hands, bruising, damage to his ear and a cut to the back of his head. He also lost two front teeth.

CCTV captured the two men leaving the flat at about 11.50pm on November 30 last year. The victim called police from a phone box just after midnight.

Police took the victim to Scarborough Hospital and he was then transferred to a specialist burns unit at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield. He was treated for head and facial burns which caused scarring, and the burns to his arm.

Sanderson was duly arrested and Burkinshaw was arrested at his home in Scarborough the following day. Police found some of the stolen fountain pens and aftershave at the property.

Burkinshaw had sold the Kindle for £35 at a second-hand shop in Scarborough.

He and Sanderson were charged initially with wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent, false imprisonment and burglary including theft of property. They both denied the allegations and were due to face trial, but ultimately admitted a single count of wounding with intent which was accepted by the prosecution.

They appeared for sentence via video link on Thursday after being remanded in custody.

The victim said the “prolonged” attack had had a deep psychological effect on him and he was now nervous around people, which had affected his voluntary work.

He had been left with skin discolouration on his arm and forehead which had caused him “self-confidence issues”.

His “noticeable” facial injuries now affected the way he spoke and for a time it prevented him carrying out his voluntary work which had a “massive” impact on his social life.

He said that during the attack, he was made to “feel weak and powerless”.

“I felt I had to do what they wanted,” he added.

“They prevented me from getting immediate (medical) help, (which) made the ordeal much worse.”

Mr Adlington said the attack included “gratuitous degradation” of the victim.

Burkinshaw, of Dean Road, had previous convictions for offences including arson, robbery, shoplifting, carrying a blade and making threats to kill.

Sanderson, who lived at the same block of flats as the victim, had convictions for burglary, affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Stephen Grattage, for Burkinshaw, said his client was “sorry for ever involving himself” in an apparent argument between Sanderson and the victim which was “none of his business”.

Nick Peacock, for Sanderson, said the father-of-one, like Burkinshaw, had taken “far too much amphetamine” on the night in question which made him “paranoid”.

Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, described the attack as “unbelievably bad”, a “wicked offence on a (named man) who was a voluntary worker for the community”.

He told the defendants: “You attacked him in the most brutal way. He was repeatedly punched, he had his teeth kicked out, boiling water was poured over his head and arm.

“He was then threatened with a knife and scissors and forced, through terror, to bark like a dog and drink water out of a dog bowl. He has permanent scarring to his forehead and he still has not been able to have his front teeth seen to and replaced.

“He couldn’t do his voluntary work. He was scared of living in his own home and you are responsible for that.

“You were both under the influence of drugs (and) the victim could not get help for his injuries because you wouldn’t let him.”

Both men were jailed for seven years and one month and were told they must each serve two-thirds of that sentence behind bars.

The judge warned them that if they reoffended following their release from prison, they could face life sentences.