Woman who led torture gang on vigilante killing given life

Emma Hall, 21, was told she would serve a minimum of 15 years after being found guilty of murdering Luke Harwood, 18, at the Old Bailey.

Sadistic James Danby, 27, and Tony O’Toole, 30, were also jailed for life for murder.

Danby, who stamped repeatedly on Mr Harwood’s head, was given a 25-year minimum, and O’Toole a 17-year minimum.

Judge Paul Worsley said the attack was “sustained, sickening and brutal”. He added: “He was punched and kicked for two hours which left him with footmarks to his scalp and head such that he had the appearance of the Elephant Man.”

Mr Harwood was killed in May last year after an 18-year-old girl pointed him out to Hall during a chance meeting and claimed he had raped her two years before.

She had made a complaint to police but the matter was dropped when police found no rape had taken place, and she withdrew the allegation.

The teenager and Hall were visiting friends at a house in Crow Lane, Romford, Essex, where Mr Harwood had just moved.

The seven stone young father was beaten up in a room and dumped on wasteground in Woodford Green, east London.

Simon Denison QC, prosecuting, said: “The men, over a prolonged period of time, severely beat him up by punching and kicking him to the head, so he was bleeding heavily from his injuries and his face was terribly swollen.”

Hall then drove Danby, O’Toole and Mr Harwood to a lane where he was “finished off”, in a savage beating that crushed all the bones in his face.

The killers, all from Romford, then bought petrol and set fire to their bloody clothing, before cleaning up their house.

The following evening, Hall drove them and another man to the spot with knives and bolt cutters to cut off his fingers and remove his teeth to make identification more difficult. But Hall had secretly tipped off police and officers were waiting for them.

Hall and Danby were also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and perverting justice. O’Toole was also found guilty of perverting justice and conspiracy to pervert justice along with Danby.

Billy Duggan, 21, was found guilty of perverting justice and conspiracy to pervert justice and was given a two-year sentence suspended for two years.