A MAN has been jailed for six-and-a-half years for creating a fake social profile of a woman to lure a former friend to a night-time ambush in which he was tasered, beaten, and robbed.

Hasif Abbas, 23, of Blenheim Mount, Manningham, was one of three masked men who kicked and punched the victim in what Bradford Crown Court heard was “a prolonged attack” lasting several minutes in the grounds of Lister Park.

The two men had previously been friends but had fallen out after an incident at a takeaway in the city.

A fake profile was then created of a woman named “Meena”, who invited the victim to meet her at North Park Road on the evening of April 6, 2021.

A video call showing a real woman purporting to be “Meena” convinced him that she was genuine, and he went to meet her.

On arrival, he telephoned “Meena”, who did not answer. Instead, three men wearing masks and scarves to cover their faces came out of adjacent Lister Park and attacked the man, who was tasered to the ground.

He was then dragged into the park where the men kicked him in the genitals and punched him in the face.

His phone was taken and smashed, and his wallet containing £250 was stolen from him.

During the assault, the victim saw Abbas’ face and recognised him.

He managed to make his way to a shop from where he was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary in the early hours of April 7.

He had sustained a fractured eye socket and cuts to his face.

In a statement following the incident, the victim said he did not feel safe at work or outside his house after the attack, and that he no longer trusted people.

When he was arrested by police Abbas provided a false alibi, which he maintained at his trial. He was found guilty of robbery and grievous bodily harm by a jury.

In outlining the case prosecutor Andrew Petterson said it had been a sophisticated and organised offence that had involved pre-planning by setting up the false female profile to “entrap” the victim over a period of time.

Abbas and his fellow attackers had even used an individual posing as “Meena” over video chat to convince him that she was real.

He said the incident had caused physical and psychological harm to the victim. 

Mitigating, Vince Blake-Barnard said Abbas had no previous convictions and that the attack represented “a substantial glitch” in his character.

He said he was regarded as a role model in the community and had received “glowing” references from colleagues. In prison, he was serving as a chaplain orderly and was taking a course as a motorcycle mechanic.

Sentencing Abbas to six-and-a-half years in prison His Honour Judge Jonathan Gibson said he was “at a loss” as to why Abbas would have involved himself in such an “organised offence” in which the victim’s phone was taken and smashed to prevent him from calling for help.

Referring to the victim, he said: “Pictures of him show that he had lost a great deal of blood, and his face was a real mess.

“When you were arrested you were interviewed and provided an alibi.

“The jury rejected that.

“You continued to deny the offence.

“All three of you were equally involved. I’m not singling you out as the leader.”