'Honour' gang who bundled victim into car boot before torturing him in shipping container over romance with attackers' sister is jailed for nearly 40 years

By ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 17:33, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 17:33, 23 July 2026 A gang who bundled a man into a car boot before tying him up and torturing him in an 'honour' kidnapping because they disapproved of his relationship have been jailed for nearly 40 years. The 21-year-old victim was snatched from outside his home by masked men after he began a relationship with the sister of two of his attackers. Harrowing footage captured the moment he was dragged from the property in front of his mother and bundled into the boot of a black Audi A4 in Arleston, Telford, Shropshire, on December 29 last year. He was then driven from the scene with his legs hanging from the boot – before the kidnappers stopped a short while later to close the door. The young man was then taken to a hired shipping container where he was tied to a chair and beaten, before eventually managing to escape by locking himself in the Audi when his kidnappers had left the vehicle before driving off. Shayyan Hussain, 24, Faheem Chohan, 23, and Ehteshan Hussain, 22, were jailed for seven-and-a-half years while Jawad Hussain, 21, was sentenced to seven years. All four men, from Telford, previously pleaded guilty to kidnap at Shrewsbury Crown Court. Haider Ali, 22, also of Telford, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of kidnap by a jury. He arrived at the storage container in a second car before transporting other members of the gang from the scene. The 21-year-old victim was snatched from outside his home by masked men after he began a relationship with the sister of two of his attackers The kidnappers sped off down the road with the boot open and feet hanging out, before taking their victim to a shipping container Shayyan Hussain, 24, was one of two brothers who disapproved of their sister's relationship with their friend Ehteshan Hussain, 22, and his brother held the principle planning roles in the plot, a court was told Sentencing, Judge Trevor Meegan said the kidnap was driven by family 'honour', adding it was not done on 'impulse' but showed a large amount of preparation. He said the Hussain brothers 'occupied a leading operational role' and did most of the planning, while Faheem Chohan and Jawad Hussain both 'willingly participated' in the kidnap and assault. The judge added: 'This was a deeply troubling offence of abduction and abuse of a young man to terrify and degrade him.' Prosecutor Jack Guise said the motive of the kidnapping was that the victim – who had been a lifelong friend of the gang – had entered a relationship with the sister of the Hussain brothers. He said: 'Prior to the date of the kidnapping, the victim and defendants were not strangers. 'The families came from the same village in Pakistan; two of the defendants are brothers, the other two are cousins, albeit distant cousins. 'They went on holiday together and ate family meals together... they went to the same mosque.' But Mr Guise said the relationship between the victim and the other men soured when he began messaging the sister of the Hussain brothers as the pair 'did not approve' of the relationship. The court heard prior to the kidnapping there were a number of incidents of cars driving past the victim's house or following him on the motorway as he drove to work, in an attempt to warn him off the relationship. On one occasion, when in a car with his brother, one of the defendants confronted the victim with a baseball bat. The gang took their victim to a rented storage contained where he was tied up and beaten The gang had to stop on their journey to close the car boot after their victim was left hanging out Mr Guise said on the day of the kidnap, the victim was at home with his mother while an electrician was doing some work in the house. An Audi pulled up outside the house at 2.18pm and three men got out and charged into the property. They barged past the electrician and grabbed the victim dragging him outside and bundling him into the boot of a black Audi A4. Shocking CCTV footage showed the victim's mother running after her son whilst screaming, before one of the men callously shoved her to the ground as she tried to stop the men leaving. A fourth masked man was behind the wheel and he drove off with two of the defendants in the car and the third defendant and victim in the boot. The vehicle drove through Wellington, Telford with the men hanging out of the back of the boot, until it came to a brief halt, at which point the third kidnapper exited the boot and closed it. Eventually the car stopped at a storage unit in Eyton, Shropshire, where Ehteshan Hussain had leased a secure storage container. The victim was taken inside, stripped, bound to a chair and repeatedly punched by the four kidnappers. Mr Guise said the 'torture' continued with the four men recording videos of the beatings, making their victim apologise on camera to the two brothers' father. Ali arrived 20 minutes after the gang of four in a Volkswagen, before leaving ten minutes later with Jawad, and Shayyan in the Audi, which the trio then dumped at Lilleshall Golf Club.  Jawad Hussain, 21, was jailed for seven years for his role in the plot Faheem Chohan, 23, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years at court this week Haider Ali pleaded not guilty to kidnap, but was convicted by a jury - he has now been sentenced to seven years in prison Ali then dropped Shayyan and Jawad off at a different address in Arleston before returning to the unit in the Volkswagen to collect Ehteshan and Chohan. After they had left, leaving the man tied up in the dark, the father of the victim was called and £20,000 was demanded from the family. The caller threatened to kill the victim by throwing him off a bridge and said if they did not pay, the victim would 'not be coming home'. The abandoned Audi was later spotted and reported to police with CCTV able to lead police to Ali. While Ali was in police custody, a video of the victim being tortured by the kidnappers was sent to his phone at 7.11pm. Using this, officers were able to identify the four other kidnappers as Jawad, Ehteshan, Shayyan and Chohan. During this time the gang went back to the unit just before 8pm and put the victim into a car, then drove towards north Shropshire. At 9.58pm police received a call from a takeaway in Whitchurch, Shropshire, stating a man was claiming to have escaped kidnap and was seriously injured. Officers attended and identified him as the victim. He told officers that while the gang was out of the car, he was able to lock the doors and, noticing the keys in the ignition, drive to safety.  He was then taken to hospital for treatment to facial injuries, including a fractured eye socket, injuries to the ribs and bruising on his hands and arms. The victim was also able to confirm the identities of the four men, and officers arrested Jawad Hussain, Ehteshan Hussain and Chohan, while Shayyan Hussain handed himself into police the following day. In a victim impact statement the young man said he now 'rarely leaves the house' adding the 'kidnap has changed my life'. Jawad, Ehteshan, Chohan and Shayyan pleaded guilty to kidnap in January 2026. Ali pleaded not guilty to the charge but was found guilty following a two-week trial last month.  A sixth man who also stood trial for kidnap was found not guilty of any involvement. Detective Chief Inspector Lee Holehouse said: 'This was a horrifying ordeal for the victim, who was kidnapped by men he had considered friends for much of his life. 'He was dragged from his home, held against his will, subjected to a violent assault and threatened with death. The actions of these men were both cruel and calculated, and the sentences handed to them reflect the seriousness of their offending. 'I would like to commend the victim for the courage and resilience he has shown throughout this investigation and court process.' Savera UK is a leading charity working to end ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and other harmful practices, including forced marriage, spiritual abuse and conversion ‘therapy’.  It provides lifesaving and life-changing services for survivors and those at risk, regardless of age, culture, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, or gender, and help and advice for professionals, training and education, research and campaign work. National helpline: 0800 107 0726 (10am – 4pm, Monday – Friday) Get help online: https://www.saverauk.co.uk/I-need-help/ If you are at immediate risk, please ring 999