Faces of twisted 'gang' members who murdered and tortured Rotherham man

Six people have been on trial at Sheffield Crown Court since April 19, 2023 charged with murder, Section 18 assault, false imprisonment and rape. A seventh was charged with assisting an offender.

Yesterday (Monday 12 June), 18-year-old Muhammad Ashraf, of Fraser Road, Rotherham; 23-year-old Arbab Yusuf, of Norwood Avenue, Romford; 30-year-old Kieron Millar, of Mount Pleasant Road, Rotherham; 31-year-old Robert Crookes, of no fixed abode and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named, were all found guilty of murdering 31-year-old Adam Clapham.

During a seven-week trial the court heard how, shortly after 11pm on Sunday 18 September 2022, the police and Yorkshire Ambulance Service received a report of a person with severe injuries. The victim, who is entitled to lifelong anonymity, told members of the emergency services how they had been tied up, beaten and tortured over a period of hours in a property in Rotherham.

The following morning, on Monday 19 September, police responded to a report of concern for a man and forced entry to a property on Spring Street, Rotherham, where the body of Mr Clapham was discovered.

Detective Chief Inspector Emma Knight, Senior Investigating Officer, said: “This has been a truly harrowing case. Besides the appalling levels of violence involved, among the most distressing and shocking elements are the details of how this group forced the victims to participate in sexual activity in their endeavours to inflict unspeakable torture and humiliation upon them.

“I cannot imagine how distressing this will have been for the surviving victim to recount before the court and I wholeheartedly commend them for the courage shown. Our thoughts are also with Mr Clapham’s family and friends, who have had to listen to such painful details about the death of their loved one.

“Words cannot express the degree of cruelty demonstrated by the actions of these individuals and they now face justice for their respective roles in such horrific crimes.”

Speaking after the verdicts were returned yesterday, a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: "The motive for the violence was linked to drug dealing.  The defendant Arbab Yusuf used this address as a base for his Class A drug dealing business.

"Drug addicts visited that address to buy their drugs, and the two victims were blamed for £300 of drugs money going missing.

"The two men were attacked because the drug dealers believed they had stolen the money, and the gang wanted to send out a message that they should not be crossed."

In addition to being found guilty of murder Ashraf, Yusuf, Millar, Crookes and the 17-year-old juvenile were all each found guilty of one count of Section 18 assault; two counts of false imprisonment and rape.

A sixth defendant called Lynette Myers, aged 39, of Hounsfield Crescent, Rotherham, was found guilty of Section 18 assault and one count of false imprisonment. She was found not guilty of murder, one count of false imprisonment, and rape.

All six defendants are due to be sentenced in a hearing due to be held at Sheffield Crown Court on July 24.