A group of four 'remorseless' kidnappers brutally attacked a City worker with a wrench before robbing him of more than £10,000. Brandon Stephenson, 25, Jason Kareem, 23, Jerome Denton, 39, and Royan Campbell, 20, left the traumatised victim bleeding overnight after the ambush on July 3, 2025.
The Attack
The callous group befriended the 36-year-old on a night out in Shoreditch, encountering him and his friends as they enjoyed after-work drinks. They then forced the man to accompany them to his home in Hertfordshire, where he was knocked out. His partner found him the following day with serious facial injuries, unable to recall what had happened. Several personal items were stolen, along with more than £10,000 from his bank and cryptocurrency accounts.
Facial Verification Used
The thugs made the injured man access his accounts using facial verification, Hertfordshire Constabulary said. Cryptocurrency company Coinbase later reported unusual online activity, prompting a police investigation.
Court Proceedings
A jury found the four perpetrators guilty of conspiracy to rob and kidnap and of false imprisonment at St Albans Crown Court on February 5. Stephenson, of Bluebell Way, Ilford, was jailed for five and a half years at the same court on May 18. He must also pay £300 to the victim under a deprivation order. Kareem, of Titmuss Avenue, Thamesmead, and Denton, of Waverley Crescent, Plumstead, were handed six years and six months and six years in prison, respectively. The former is serving a five-year sentence for the wrench attack and a consecutive 18-month sentence for breaching other suspended sentences. He was also ordered to pay £300 to the victim. The judge sentenced Campbell, of Park Road, Ilford, to three years and six months behind bars. A 20-year-old man, Rayshon Keena, of Bede Road, Romford, was also found guilty of money laundering offences. He received a two-year community order, must complete 150 days of unpaid work and pay £500 in compensation, and received a deprivation order in relation to his phone.
Victim Impact
Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gardner of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: 'The offenders showed no remorse for putting the victim through a horrible ordeal in his own home, which should be a safe place, threatening him and using violence to force him to transfer funds from his personal accounts, stealing cash, cryptocurrency and watches. This traumatic ordeal has left lasting repercussions, leaving him suffering both financially and emotionally.'
The attack has placed a huge strain on the victim and his family, affecting his mental wellbeing and outlook on life. Speaking in an impact statement read out in court, he said: 'For a long time following, I had trouble sleeping, I would wake in the middle of the night with my mind racing and with the horrible feeling of strangers having ongoing access to my personal life, not knowing if the defendants had retrieved information from my phone of where my new residence was, where my family lived and where I worked. I can no longer fully enjoy being out in public without a persistent, unsettling reminder of what occurred. It has made me question who I am as a person and has resulted in me pulling back from previously having a very social and outgoing life. I openly avoid certain areas of London and have on several occasions turned down invitations in my personal and work life as a result. When I am with friends, they have noted my demeanour is much more reserved and subdued, this stems from an uneasy feeling I still have being around large groups and out of my comfort zone.'
The victim's partner has also been left 'feeling exposed and vulnerable', and 'on edge and apprehensive' when her partner was out, she told the court.
