Honeytrap gang who lured lovestruck colleague to flat where they battered him over £150 debt jailed
The judge branded the four thugs as 'animals' after
3
Shannon Wolleter lured a man into a flat so he could be violently attacked
Credit: BirminghamLive/BPM
3
Matthew Baker had previously been involved with the victim's new girlfriend
Credit: BirminghamLive/BPM
Daniel Aston, 33, and his then-girlfriend Shannon Wolleter hatched the plot alongside 61-year-old Steven Baker and his son Matthew.
The gang targeted their friend Anthony Cooper after saying they didn't approve of his girlfriend and because he owed them £150.
They created an elaborate trap for Anthony, by using Wolleter as bait.
She started texting Anthony, while pretending that she was interested in him romantically.
Read More on UK Crime
The pair arranged to meet up on October 3, 2021, for a 'sexual encounter' at 8.12pm.
When he arrived, he was dragged off the street and taken into a silver
Baker shouted 'come here, you little c***' before beating Anthony, while Matthew Baker threatened to cut off the charity worker's legs.
Matthew Baker sent videos of the crime to various people on social media, once they reached a friend's flat.
Most read in The Sun
Anthony was then dragged to a car park before being dropped near to his address.
He was treated for his injuries, while the violent gang of four were arrested.
Why You Should Blur Your Home on Google Maps – Safety Tips for Homeowners
Presiding over
Aston was slapped with a five-year and eight month sentence, while Wolleter was handed a two year and 10 month sentence.
Both Bakers were given sentences of three years and nine months.
David Bambrough, 41, was handed a six month suspended sentence after allowing the gang to use his flat during the assault.
Anthony met the group through a homelessness charity and had considered each of them friends.
However, the friendship broke down when he started dating a woman called Bethany love.
The prosecution, Lachlan Stewart, said that this caused the sinister gang to start calling Anthony nasty names.
Mr Stewart said: 'Steven Baker saw her like a daughter. There was also a suggestion Matthew Baker may have been in a relationship with her in the past.
'The group started going around calling Mr Cooper a paedo, a rapist and sex offender entirely without basis.'
Anthony opened up about how the incident has left him unable to trust the people he cares about in his life.
He said: 'What makes things worse is I thought all the people involved were my
'It really made me not want to make more friends.
'When it was happening I thought I was going to die.
'I have never been so scared in all my life.'
3
Steven Baker, pictured, was part of the plan to attack Anthony
Credit: BirminghamLive/BPM
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Illegal immigrant who taunted Brits on TikTok fled Germany for ‘soft touch' Britain after travelling from Afghanistan
AN illegal migrant who taunted Brits on TikTok from his taxpayer-funded hotel room fled Germany for 'soft-touch' Britain. The Sun told yesterday how he racked up a million views by boasting of crossing the Channel by dinghy, saying: 'Tell your friends to come.' 9 The TikTok asylum seeker smirking on dinghy to the UK on Saturday 9 The illegal migrant shared social posts wearing a balaclava 9 He is also seen in photos from his travels to France He posted a step-by-step guide to reaching the UK before hosting a Q&A in the Afghan dialect Pashto. Today we can reveal he swapped stays in Germany and France — two safe countries — to reach 'soft-touch' Britain, one of 434 boat arrivals on Saturday. The man, using the online handle Alexandra420, was moved to a hotel near Heathrow from where he shared eight clips encouraged others to make the journey. It also emerged that months before coming here, he warned Afghan asylum seekers they could be sent home from Germany. READ MORE ON ILLEGAL MIGRANTS STOP THE BOASTS Migrant LIVE STREAMS step by step channel crossing & boasts from hotel Following our investigation, TikTok has taken down his account for promoting people-smuggling. Last night Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted: 'This illegal immigrant had multiple opportunities to claim asylum in other European countries before choosing to come here. 'The Home Office and police should be urgently investigating this man for encouraging others to enter the UK illegally and producing a step-by-step guide showing them how to cross. 'Facilitating illegal immigration is a criminal offence. Enough is enough. "Everyone crossing the Channel illegally by small boat must be removed either to their home country or a safe third country. The Labour government need to get a grip of this crisis.' Mr Philp called for the return of the Rwanda deportation scheme, proposed by the Tories under Boris Johnson and dropped by Sir Keir Starmer on Day One of his premiership. Small boat migrants given taxpayer-funded days out including dinghy trips & £1 Prem tickets as farcical perks exposed Since then, 50,716 migrants have entered on a small boat — including 445 on Tuesday. Removals to Afghanistan have been paused since the Taliban seized control in 2021. It meant the TikTok influencer knew when entering the UK that he would likely not be deported. 9 He poses for a picture at Berlin's Altes Museum 9 Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp says 'enough is enough' Credit: PA He is believed to have stayed in Germany for a substantial time. But he decided to seek better benefits in Britain after posting about a plan by far-right party Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) to deport all illegal migrants. It would have seen the mass return of asylum seekers had the party won February's elections. The current German government is also exploring deporting failed asylum seekers to nations other than their home country. Everyone crossing the Channel illegally by small boat must be removed either to their home country or a safe third country Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp Mocking taxpayers The influencer posted a video of AfD firebrand leader Alice Weidel, in which she claimed: 'The Afghans are a nation that grew up in a war-torn environment. 'We know this fact and we do not deny it. But it does not matter to me where they came from or what conditions they grew up in. 'When they reach Germany, they must respect the laws, customs and culture of this country. young people who appear in German streets in military uniforms…they are clearly from the battlefield, not from the borders of Europe. 'I say this as a warning, not a threat. Learn the civil attitude. Otherwise, perhaps where you came from is more suitable for you.' The asylum seeker wrote of the video: 'Listen to this woman's speech, and indeed, she has spoken what she means. 'This law will be applied to Afghans at the earliest opportunity.' In shared social posts he poses in front of Berlin's Altes Museum, and in a keffiyeh headdress. In another he showed off the city's Alexanderplatz. In a third he sits in front of a bridge in a blue t-shirt, jeans and trainers. He captioned the photo with a location pin emoji, the French flag, and wrote: 'France'. Another photo shows him at an unidentified train station platform wearing a black puffer jacket with cream cargo trousers. We can also reveal he changed his TikTok bio after entering the UK to include a British flag — mocking taxpayers stumping up billions to put up 32,000 people in around 210 migrant hotels. In his 45-minute Q&A session, livestreamed on TikTok on Tuesday, he told his 70,000 followers: 'Finally, I left Germany. Then they moved me into France.' Later, he attempted to make a sarcastic joke by claiming he had not come from Germany — despite admitting it multiple times. A follower asked: 'Brother, have you been to Berlin or not?' The man replied: 'Yes – oh, no, no, I haven't been there, brother. I've never been to Berlin.' He then laughed for several seconds before adding: 'And I've never lived in Germany. Not for one second.' 9 The illegal migrant posted a step-by-step guide to crossing the Channel on a small boat Credit: Tiktok 9 He showed TikTok fans his view from the window of his asylum hotel Credit: Tiktok 9 He also took part in a live Q&A with his followers Appearing to admit he had been rejected for asylum in mainland Europe, he went on: 'What should I do in a country that rejects me? 'I didn't get acceptance, I got nothing. I'm crazy to live there?' Referring to Britain's generous perks, he said: 'There's nothing there. Only here.' Later, in the livestream, he admitted: 'Everything in the story is about acceptance. 'There is no need for my attention there (in Germany) anymore. 'I came from a faraway place, aboard a ship.' Finally, I left Germany. Then they moved me into France After arriving in Dover, he was taken to the processing centre at Manston, Kent, and given standard-issue clothes, some of which he appears to wear in the video. He was then transferred to the Crowne Plaza near Heathrow. The hotel is a stopover for many asylum seekers before switch to more permanent accomodation. Yesterday more migrants came and went from the hotel, which is contracted by the Home Office after previosuly operating as a four-star stopover for holidaymakers and businesspeople. A TikTok spokeswoman said yesterday: 'We take a zero-tolerance approach to content promoting human smuggling, this account has been banned and we remove the vast majority of content before it is even reported. 'Through industry-leading search interventions and close collaboration with the UK National Crime Agency, we work to identify and disrupt organised immigration crime online, adapting our efforts to meet evolving threats.' A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'It is our longstanding policy not to comment on operational matters or individual cases.' 9 The man, using the online handle Alexandra420, was moved to the Crowne Plaza hotel near Heathrow Credit: Dan Charity BBC edit for 'xenophobia' THE BBC was yesterday forced to apologise after a Radio 4 programme branded fears about illegal migrants as 'xenophobic'. A guest singled out Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick for saying he did not want his children 'sharing a neighbourhood with men from backward countries who broke into Britain illegally.' On Thought for the Day, Dr Krish Kandiah said: 'These words echo a fear — fear of the stranger. The technical name is xenophobia.' Jenrick slammed the comments and the BBC edited the show. It said: 'While its reflection on fear in society from a faith perspective is broadly in line with expectations of the programme, some of the language it used went beyond that and we apologise.'
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Woman, 20s, dies falling from 32-floor skyscraper in Canary Wharf as cops probe ‘unexpected' death
Tragically she could not be saved and was declared dead at the scene PLUNGE HORROR Woman, 20s, dies falling from 32-floor skyscraper in Canary Wharf as cops probe 'unexpected' death A WOMAN has died after falling from a 32-floor skyscraper in London's financial district. Police were scrambled to Sirocco Tower in Canary Wharf this morning following the horror. Advertisement 1 The woman fell to her death in Canary Wharf Credit: BPM The woman, aged in her 20s, tragically could not be saved and was declared dead at the scene. The Met Police have now launched a probe into the tragedy. A spokesperson said: "At around 06:39hrs on Wednesday, 13 August police responded to calls that a person had fallen from height in Harbour Way, Canary Wharf. 'Police and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene but sadly a woman in her 20s was pronounced dead at the scene. Advertisement 'Her next of kin have been notified and are being supported by specialist officers. "At this time her death is being treated as unexpected and enquiries continue.' A forensic tent and cordon remain on the scene, which is just minutes from Canary Wharf station. A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called at 6.37am today to reports of a person fallen from height on Harbour Way, Isle of Dogs. Advertisement "We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer. "We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London's Air Ambulance. Very sadly, a woman was pronounced dead at the scene." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Advertisement Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- The Irish Sun
My daughter was murdered by her evil ex who sent us chilling ‘I warned you all' text minutes before salon attack
Haunting CCTV also showed Hollie's twisted killer selling a DVD player so he could get money for the murder weapon FAMILY TORMENT My daughter was murdered by her evil ex who sent us chilling 'I warned you all' text minutes before salon attack NICK and Amanda Gazzard knew they had lost their daughter when the surgeon who battled for hours to save her life stood shaking in front of them at the hospital. Nick told The Sun: 'He didn't need to say anything - it was written all over the poor man's face." 10 Hollie Gazzard had repeatedly tried to break up with Asher Maslin Credit: PA:Press Association 10 On the day she died, Hollie had been expecting Maslin to turn up at her salon Credit: Rex Features 10 Nick Gazzard appearing on This Morning alongside his daughter Chloe Credit: Rex Features His beautiful daughter Hollie was just 20 when her jealous, crazed boyfriend launched a frenzied knife attack on her while she cut a client's hair at a beauty salon in Gloucester on February 18, 2014. Obsessed Asher Maslin stabbed her 14 times in front of horrified salon staff and customers after she repeatedly tried to break up with him. Hollie had met Maslin, 21, in a bar where she also worked a year earlier, but he soon became controlling. Chilling CCTV footage showed him selling his DVD player to get money to buy the 12-inch kitchen knife used to attack Hollie. He then bombarded the young hairdresser with abusive texts, including one that said: 'I don't want to get f***ing violent as I'll take it too far." Two days later, he texted her sister Chloe's partner, saying: 'I warned you all.' Minutes later, he walked into the salon and killed her. In July 2014, Maslin received a 24-year life sentence for Hollie's murder at Gloucester Crown Court. Hollie's father, Nick, a former professional footballer, spoke to The Sun about the tragedy that tore his family apart. He said the 'strain' of Hollie's brutal murder caused his marriage to his wife, Amanda, to break down, resulting in them divorcing two years ago. Stalked: Murder In Slow Motion - CCTV shows Asher Maslin selling DVD player to buy the 12-inch knife used to attack Hollie Gazzard He says: 'The impact of Hollie's death on all of us was, unsurprisingly, very, very difficult. 'I have always been a very positive kind of person, so my way of trying to deal with it was to throw myself into educating the public about the warning signs to look for in a toxic, controlling relationship. 'I set up a trust in Hollie's name, and I go around the country giving talks, offering advice. 'Amanda stayed in the background, and over time, we found we were travelling down different paths. "The strain of trying to somehow come to terms with Hollie's death affected our marriage. 'We are still as close as ever to Hollie's older sister, Chloe, who now has two children of her own, and the three of them are mine and Amanda's lives now. 'For Chloe, losing Hollie has been especially hard. In an instant, she lost her best friend, her soulmate, the person she could confide in about anything. 'After Hollie's death, Chloe struggled, but somehow she managed to come through it, and I'm so proud of her. "She's got two daughters, and they are our focus now.' 'Totally fixated' Nick said Hollie was 'a joy to be a father to'. He explained that she loved sports and threw herself into every activity she could. She was initially a very good footballer, but as she grew through her teens, she became more interested in fashion, hair and make-up. It soon became clear to Nick, like many girls of that age, that this would be the route she was going to go down. He continued: 'She was a quick learner and a hard worker. 'Hollie was ambitious too, and she set her sights on working in a hair salon on cruise ships a year or so before she was killed." It is so heartbreaking to think that if she'd stuck to her dreams and gone to sea, she'd have been safe from him, and she might still be alive today Nick Gazzard She had found an opening and was invited to go down to London to train for cruise ship salon work. But while Hollie was in the capital, Maslin followed her there and started giving her a hard time for wanting to take the job. Nick explained: 'He somehow managed to persuade her to ditch her dreams and stay in Gloucester. "It is so heartbreaking to think that if she'd stuck to her dreams and gone to sea, she'd have been safe from him, and she might still be alive today. 'Even though she decided to stay in Gloucester working as a hairdresser, she did repeatedly break up with him because of his behaviour, but he refused to let her go. 'Wherever she went, he'd find her and follow her, threaten her and make her life a misery. He just would not let her go. 10 Fringe Benefits hair salon in Gloucester where Hollie was brutally stabbed to death Credit: Rex Features 10 Nick urged parents concerned their daughter might be in an unhealthy relationship to get them to open up Credit: INSTAGRAM 10 He says he remembers the attack 'like it was yesterday' Credit: SWNS 10 Maslin received a 24-year life sentence for Hollie's murder Credit: PA:Press Association "He was manipulative, obsessive and had by then become totally fixated on her.' 'There's a knife' On the day she died, Hollie had been expecting Maslin to turn up at the salon, according to her then-boss Sian Pryszlak. She said: 'I'd agreed with Hollie earlier in the day that if he turned up, I wouldn't make a scene, I'd just call the police.' Just after 6.30pm, on February 18, Maslin walked into the busy salon. 'I was doing a gentleman's hair,' said Sian. She added: 'I said hello and he said hello and I walked to the back of the salon and held my phone up to Hollie to show that I was going to phone the police and we both nodded to one another. 'I remember feeling quite nervous and anxious about it. "I heard quite a lot of commotion and then there were people running towards me and one client said, 'there's a knife'.' The frenzied attack lasted just two minutes, but Nick says that his hurt will last for a lifetime. His work can never ease the pain he feels daily when he recalls the day of Hollie's death. He added: 'I remember the day we found out that Hollie had been attacked like it was yesterday. Every single detail stays fresh in my mind." Nick had been invited for a meal at a friend's house along with Amanda and Chloe. While out, he had to quickly nip back to the house to pick something up that he had forgotten. He said: "When I got home, there was a car parked up and a policewoman stepped out and asked me if I was Hollie's father. "She said she had something very serious to tell me and asked if we could go inside. 'I immediately began thinking through the worst things that could have happened to her. My heart was pumping. "When we were inside the house, this policewoman broke it to me as gently as she could that Hollie had been stabbed multiple times and was in hospital." Nick told how he raced back to the friends' house, picked Amanda up and drove to the hospital in a state of panic. When they arrived, they were told by a consultant that Hollie was in surgery. They were reassured that everything was being done in their power to try and save her life. Nick added: "I wanted to go in and see her, but they said that was not possible because she was being operated on and every second was critical. 'I hoped with all my heart they'd find a way to save her, but half an hour later, the surgeon came out to us. "He looked ashen, and he was shaking. He sat my wife and me down and told us he'd tried everything to save her, but she was dead. "That moment changed our families' lives forever.' Breaking the cycle In his public talks, Nick urges parents who are concerned their daughter might be in an unhealthy relationship 'to try and sit them down and get them to open up'. He added: 'Ask them if there's anything they'd like to talk about, and if they do open up, listen to them, take them seriously and help put them in touch with professionals who can give them clear, decisive advice. 10 Nick was made an OBE for his work in tackling violence against women Credit: PA 10 Maslin pawned a DVD player for £5 to pay for the knife he used in the crazed attack Credit: SWNS:South West News Service 10 Hollie was stabbed to death in front of colleagues at her salon Credit: Rex Features 'Through the trust I set up after Hollie died, I've lost count of the number of girls and parents we helped get out - and stay out - of destructive relationships. 'One of the most satisfying moments has been when the mother of a 19-year-old young woman contacted me to tell me that for years she had been unable to get her daughter out of an unhealthy, violent relationship. 'She told me her daughter would end the relationship, but then, within days or weeks, they'd get back together because he kept managing to convince her to try again. 'But after coming to one of my talks and reading through our advice online, she actually managed to help her daughter break the cycle and she finished with him… for good. Nothing will ever bring her back, but at least now I can help others make sure they keep their daughters alive and away from men who will harm them Nick Gazzard 'And now, she told me, her daughter has found a new boyfriend, someone who adores her and treats her with kindness and respect. She's finally in a healthy, happy relationship. 'That made my heart burst with pride. For me, that was the most satisfying moment since Hollie's death." Nick is well aware that he can't change what happened, but he has found comfort in helping others escape their abusive partners. He was made an OBE for his work by the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace in March. He said: 'I am so glad to have perhaps saved at least one young woman from ending up in the situation my beautiful daughter Hollie found herself. "Nothing will ever bring her back, but at least now I can help others make sure they keep their daughters alive and away from men who will harm them."
