Sheffield Crown Court: Men jailed for nearly 20 years following 'deeply disturbing' false imprisonment case

Valdemaras Kasinskas, aged 39, and Andi Alushi, 27, were each sentenced to 19-and-a-half years in prison today (January 3), after pleading guilty to two counts of false imprisonment last month. The pair were arrested on May 14, 2022, after armed police officers raided a home on Firth Park Road, Sheffield, to find two Albanian men chained to radiators.

The two victims were found in seperate rooms upstairs and next to them were empty dog food bowls, which they had been forced to eat out of after being starved for days. One of the men had severe burns to his hand, having been assaulted and scalded.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Oughton, who led the investigation, said: “What officers found inside that house was deeply disturbing, clear evidence two people had been kept prisoner and subjected to absolutely barbaric treatment. Torture is the only word to describe what Kasinskas and Alushi did to one of the victims, giving him violent beatings and burning him with scalding liquid, causing significant burn injuries.

“As we dug deeper into this horrific case, we learned the motive for Kasinskas and Alushi’s sadistic crimes was to elicit money from the victims’ families back in Albania. The pair blamed the victims for one of their cannabis warehouses being dismantled – a clear indication of their involvement in organised criminality and large-scale drugs supply – and as such, filmed the victims enduring humiliating and degrading treatment in the hope they could blackmail their families.”

On the day of the house raid, Kasinskas and Alushi were arrested on suspicion of wounding.

DCI Oughton said: “When faced with the victims’ testimony, forensic evidence, telephone and digital evidence, this criminal duo saw no option but to enter guilty pleas the week before trial was due to start.

“This conviction would not have been successful without the bravery of the two victims, the dedicated efforts of investigating officers and staff, as well as the invaluable support of international law enforcement agencies.”