In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Brandon Whelpton, then 22, of Danes Close, Arnold, Nottinghamshire, was jailed for a “torturous” assault on a 17-year-old boy. On Monday, 29 April 2019, Whelpton appeared at Nottingham Crown Court, where he was handed a sentence of 12 years and nine months after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
The investigation established that on 15 September 2018, Whelpton and four other men—Tony Cole, James Cooper, Luke West, and Jake West—attended a party in Bestwood, Nottinghamshire, with the teenage victim. During the night, they forced the boy to strip naked and humiliated him while threatening him with a knife. Whelpton subjected the victim to extreme violence, including stabbing him repeatedly, urinating on him, and pouring boiling water over his body. The ordeal was recorded on a mobile phone and sent as a video message to a witness as a threat against “grassing.”
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that the victim felt he had been “tortured” during the night-long assault in Bestwood. Nottingham Crown Court heard that Whelpton used the boy’s tie to restrict his breathing and blocked him in a kitchen to prevent escape. The judge noted that the level of cruelty, particularly the use of boiling water, which required the victim to undergo surgery at a burns unit, was “horrific.” Nine separate videos discovered on a mobile phone provided undeniable evidence of the assault despite the defendants’ initial denials.
The judge noted that Whelpton’s actions were the most severe among the group, leading to his significantly longer sentence. For their roles in the false imprisonment of the boy in Nottinghamshire, Tony Cole (formerly of Derby), James Cooper (formerly of Top Valley, Nottingham), and Luke West (of Bulwell, Nottingham) were handed prison terms ranging from three years and two months to three years and seven months. Jake West (of Clifton, Nottingham) received a three-year community order.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For his crimes in England, Brandon Whelpton was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: 12 years and nine months in prison.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court following a guilty plea to GBH with intent.
- Co-defendants Tony Cole, James Cooper, and Luke West received custodial sentences for false imprisonment.
- Status: Classified as a violent offender with strict licence conditions upon release.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Whelpton is managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) by Nottinghamshire Police and the prison estate. Due to the “torturous” nature of the attack in Bestwood, Nottinghamshire, his management is subject to high-level oversight to ensure the safety of the public and the victim upon his eventual release.
As a violent offender, Whelpton must comply with strict notification and supervision requirements while residing in Arnold, Nottinghamshire, for the duration of his licence. Authorities state that the recovery of the “sickening” video evidence was crucial in securing justice for the victim, whose injuries to his face and body were described as life-changing. Any breach of his licence conditions or future violent conduct will result in immediate arrest and a return to Nottingham Crown Court.
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