A man was tied up, tortured and had his teeth pulled out with a door hinge in a horrifying ordeal likened to a scene from a Quentin Tarantino film.
The victim was subjected to a 12-hour nightmare by Wayne Butler and Stephen Dixon, who also carved the name ‘Molly’ into his forehead with a knife. The two men threw darts at the victim and kicked him in a flat last summer. They demanded money and sent terrifying photos to the victim’s brother, leading to the police being called. The victim believed he would have been killed if officers hadn’t found him or would be found “dead in a river” if he revealed who tortured him, Mold Crown Court heard.
Butler, 37, and Dixon, 51, admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and false imprisonment in the incident in Llanidloes on July 17. A judge at Mold Crown Court described the act as sadistic and sentenced them to ten and a half years, and six years, respectively, for the GBH offence.
Prosecutor John Wyn Williams said they were in a flat in the quiet town “when the peace was shattered by an incident like something out of a Tarantino horror film.” Butler found the victim Matthew “Jimmy” Williams stood over Butler’s girlfriend Molly, who had overdosed on drugs, in the bathroom at about 3.30am.
Butler blamed Mr Williams for the overdose and possibly taking advantage of the woman. He stormed into the flat that Mr Williams shared with Dixon “in a rage”. The court heard how Butler punched Mr Williams and carved the name Molly onto his forehead, while Dixon spat household ammonia in Williams’ face.
Butler then tried to suffocate Mr Williams by holding a plastic bag over his head, before both defendants threw darts at their victim. Butler used a door hinge to pull out four of Mr Williams’ teeth – two upper and two lower – and then attempted to choke him with a metal bar. During this horrific ordeal, Mr Williams was stripped and tied up with bandages brought by Dixon, said the prosecutor.
At one point, Dixon tried to stop Butler from attacking Mr Williams. But Butler warned him, “Do you want to turn into him?” North Wales Live has started a WhatsApp group where you can get the latest news straight to your phone.
The accomplices demanded £400 and contacted Mr Williams’ mother Glenys, who is in her seventies. They sent “horror” photos of Mr Williams to his brother Gary, demanding the money be transferred. Later, Butler threatened to kneecap Mr Williams and Dixon threatened to smash a brandy bottle on Williams. A sock was stuffed in his mouth to stop him “shouting or screaming”, said the prosecutor.
A passing police car caused the men to untie Mr Williams, who was found naked and injured. Initially, he feared he would be found “dead in a river” if he revealed his captors, but later identified them. In a statement, he shared that he now suffers from nightmares and struggles to eat hard food. He described the photos of his injuries as looking like “something from a horror film”. Defending Butler, Oliver King said his client felt remorse. He argued that the injuries were “not permanent or irreversible”, suggesting any compensation might be used for dental repairs. King also highlighted Butler’s mental health issues and traumatic family history.
Myles Wilson, defending Dixon, argued his client was less culpable than Butler. He explained Dixon had relocated to Wales after working in the West Midlands and had befriended Butler there. Judge Rhys Rowlands condemned the defendants for their “unbelievable cruelty” and sadistic violence against a vulnerable victim.
Butler, labelled a “dangerous offender”, must serve at least two-thirds of his ten-and-a-half-year prison sentence. He was also given an extended period of four and a half years under supervision after that. There was no separate penalty for either defendant for the false imprisonment as it was reflected in the main sentence. Both men were handed indefinite restraining orders prohibiting them from contacting their victim. (Mirror)