Family of thug landlords who filmed sick attacks on vulnerable victims in Bedford jailed for more than 30 years

A family of “thug” landlords who filmed themselves carrying out “sick” attacks on vulnerable people they did not want in their flats have been put behind bars

The three brothers were involved in a series of attacks at properties their father’s company owned across Bedford.

Mohammed Said, Mohammed Shakeel and Mohammed Shamrez attacked their victims with weapons including a metal pole, bolt croppers, baseball bats and a meat cleaver.

And they filmed the attacks on mobile phones – causing shocking injuries including a broken leg and fractured ribs. One victim had to have a leg amputated following medical complications.

The videos were later used to convict them, with the trio jailed at Luton Crown Court today (Friday).

You can see some of the shocking footage in the video above.

Detective Constable Matthew Jarman, who led the investigation, said: “These three individuals have operated a brutal enforcement business of violence and intimidation targeting anyone they considered ‘undesirable’ in their properties.

“All of their victims were vulnerable in some way. These men preyed on vulnerable victims as part of their enforcement scheme.

“Some of the video footage we uncovered in our investigation is truly shocking. Their victims have been left understandably terrified by these attacks, and I want to thank all of them for their bravery in coming forward and cooperating with us to put these individuals behind bars.

“What we have seen here is how violence, exploitation and organised crime are linked. Vulnerable people right here in Bedfordshire are at risk of being groomed, taken advantage of and abused by men like this, in the name of all manner of criminal activity.

“We all have a responsibility to be aware of this. This is not a distant problem. This exploitation is happening right here in our communities. If you have concerns about someone or something, please report it to us.”

In May 2020, Mohammed Shamrez and a family member forced their way into a flat in Bromham Road, Bedford. They punched and kicked a visitor at one of the flats and also attacked him with a metal pole. The victim was left with a broken leg in two places.

After the attack, Shamrez told the victim: “Do you know who I am? This is my building”.

Police investigating the attack arrested another brother, Mohammed Shakeel, the same day. On his phone, they found video footage of seven further assaults, dating back to February 2019.

Some of the harrowing footage includes the men attacking a victim with bolt croppers, as well as punching and kicking another victim to the point he was left with a fractured rib.

In another case, a man who had had an argument with one of the defendant’s wives over a parking space was attacked with a baseball bat the next day, while one of the brothers was also armed with a meat cleaver.

Judge Blake sentencing the trio said that they were “motivated by desire to assert power and control over those deemed less important.”

He added: “The videos are deeply disturbing. Your arrogance and relish for violence, the pain and abject fear created is chilling.”

Mohammed Shamrez, 38, of Bromham Road, Bedford, pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, two counts of attempted GBH and two counts of actual bodily harm (ABH). He was sentenced to 14 years and six months.

Mohammed Shakeel, 26, of Bromham Road, Bedford, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted GBH. He was jailed for six years.

Mohammed Said, 24, of Bromham Road, Bedford, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted GBH, one count of causing GBH with intent and one count of ABH. He was jailed for 10 years and nine months.