Teenager Mohammed Islam lured an innocent lad to his home, held him hostage and threatened to kill him, but was caught using DNA from a half-eaten Wispa bar (Photograph: West Midlands Police)
A teenager lured an innocent lad to his home, held him hostage and threatened to kill him unless friends and family members transferred money into his bank account.
But Mohammed Islam was snared by a half-eaten chocolate bar that he enjoyed while carrying out the crime, which helped to jail him for eight years on Friday (1 July).
He casually munched on the Wispa while making his demands on 25 March this year, as his terrified victim sat scared for his life on the 18-year-old’s bedroom floor.
Islam was able to get the lad – also then aged 18 – to his address, at Brookpiece House in Druids Heath, by using a girl he knew as a ruse to entice him over.
When he arrived, he held a knife to his throat, pulled his jumper over his head and dragged him into his bedroom where he forced him to sit on the floor.
Islam made the victim phone his dad to tell him he was being held hostage and ask for cash. But when he only agreed to send £150, Islam saw red and snatched the phone from him.
Teenager Mohammed Islam made the victim phone his dad to tell him he was being held hostage and ask for cash (Photograph: West Midlands Police)
He told the unsuspecting father that unless he transferred a further £150 on top of the £150 he had already promised, he would stab his son. Islam then headed out with the lad’s bank card and PIN to withdraw the money he had just extorted.
The victim – frozen with fear – obeyed the demands to stay sat on the walk-in wardrobe floor. His hands had been tied behind his back with a leather belt.
But when Islam got back, he demanded even more money. He made a second call to the father and this time falsely told him he had actually carried out the threat and stabbed his son.
Reduced to tears, the dad transferred yet another £150, which Islam went out to withdraw.
After a three-hour long ordeal – during which he was slapped around the head and threatened – the 18-year-old was walked out of the flat with a plastic bag over his head.
As Islam led him out of the flat towards a lift, the victim was able to grab the half-eaten Wispa and, after a few minutes, he removed the bag before running to the nearest house for help.
Police arrested Islam on 3 April – he was bitten by a police dog as he tried to make his escape. He then made an audacious attempt to run away from hospital, but was later recaptured.
Traces of DNA from the half-eaten Wispa, which was cunningly seized by the victim, were directly matched to Islam. He was later picked out in an identification parade.
Teenager Mohammed Islam held this knife to his victim’s neck during the ordeal (Photograph: West Midlands Police)
At Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (1 July) he was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery, false imprisonment and blackmail.
In a victim personal statement, the father said the fear he felt while speaking with his kidnapped son would live with him forever. He added: “I hope that no father ever has to go through what I went through.”
DC Darran Ford, from Bournville CID in, said, “This was a callous, planned attack that had great impact on the victim and his family, who I hope have now been offered some closure.
“I would like to pay tribute to the victim and his incredible presence of mind to grab the Wispa bar immediately before escaping. This played a crucial role in bringing the Mohammed Islam to justice.
“I hope the eight year prison term gives him some time out to think about the effects of his actions on the family, as well as serving a stark warning to anyone wishing to carry a knife on the streets.”
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