Grindr victims’ hours of horror from hideous injuries to being rendered unconscious

Birmingham: A group of thugs lured victims through Grindr, then attacked them at knifepoint. They’ve been sentenced to a total of 80 years in prison.

Over ten months in 2023, these five guys pulled off a string of robberies in Birmingham and Derby, raking in more than £100,000. They created fake profiles on Grindr, pretending to set up dates, but when victims showed up, they were ambushed.

Imagine being scared for your life while they forced you to transfer money from your bank account. They even pretended to be hurt in public to trick good Samaritans into helping them, only to turn on them and rob them.

The gang members, aged between 20 and 24, were all found guilty. Their sentences varied, with one getting over 17 years. The injuries their victims suffered were pretty serious, including broken bones and other trauma.

One incident involved two men walking home from a nightclub. They were dragged into a park, robbed at knifepoint, and had their phones taken. Another victim thought he was meeting someone named ‘Noah’ but ended up being threatened and robbed of thousands.

In another case, a guy was pinned down and forced to transfer over £25,000 while the gang threatened him with a knife. They even made him call his bank to verify the transfer while they were there.

Police worked hard, reviewing hours of CCTV and tracking down the gang. They were determined to put an end to this wave of hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community.

Detective Inspector Tom Lyons praised the bravery of the victims for coming forward. He emphasized that these crimes were calculated and targeted vulnerable individuals. The police are serious about bringing offenders to justice.

Georgina Davies from the Crown Prosecution Service noted that the gang thought their victims wouldn’t report the crimes, but they were wrong. All five were held accountable for their actions.