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A pair of vigilantes launched a disgusting attack on a man with learning difficulties who they thought was a paedophile.

Vile Stephen Holmes, 23, along with 21-year-old Sophie Cooke, lured the innocent man to a home before he was subjected to torture.

Burnley Crown Court heard gruesome details of the attack - including how the attackers shoved a mobile phone up the victim's backside.

The victim cannot be named for legal reasons, however the court was told how he confessed to having indecent thoughts regarding a young girl - but there was no evidence that he had done so, or that he was a paedophile.

He was pinned to the floor by Holmes and another man, who has not been named, who punched him before trying to gag him with a cloth.

The man then "felt pain in his behind" before being told: "You better not say anything or else I'm going to stab you."

A series of texts sent after the attack were read out in court, with those involved bragging about the attack.

Cooke asked: "Was he scared?" and she received a response saying "yes".

The victim suffered a series of serious injuries in the incident including an anal tear at the hands of Holmes and the other man.

Both Cooke and Holmes admitted conspiracy to commit assault and assault causing actual bodily harm.

Cooke, from Nelson, Lancashire, 'set up the violence' after luring him to the house.

She was spared jail after being sentenced to eight months behind bars suspended for a year.

Judge Beverley Lunt told her: "You have come as close as it's possible to come to going to prison."

However Holmes, from Burnley, was jailed for 17 months after he also pleaded guilty to theft of the victim's phone.

The court was told by prosecutor David Clarke that when the victim arrived at the house he went inside and saw two men.

He saw Holmes there, alongside another unnamed second person.

(Image: Cavendish)

The victim was told to go to an upstairs bedroom and he was then pinned down to the floor.

Mr Clarke said: "It seems the vast majority of the violence was perpetrated by the other man.

"He started punching the victim, calling him a paedophile and attempted to gag him with a cloth, but the victim says the attempts were not successful.

"He struggled. His trousers and his underwear were pulled down and whilst Mr Holmes was holding him down, he was assaulted by the other man.

"He felt a pain to his behind. He felt something sharp."

Mr Clarke said the unknown man then told the victim: "You better not say anything or else I am going to stab you."

After his ordeal, the victim went to a friend's house and told her he had been assaulted.

She then took him to a police station.

The complainant arrived there at about 6.30pm, gave a short account of what had happened to him and was later interviewed.

The prosecutor said at 9.52 pm that evening, a text message was sent to Cooke's phone, which read: "We left him inside and said not to leave for 10 minutes."

She replied: "Was he proper scared?" and the response she received was: "Yes."

When Cooke was interviewed by police she claimed she thought her boyfriend was just going to give the victim a warning.

Simon Gurney, for Holmes, said he had never before been convicted of violence and his behaviour was "totally out of character."

Mr Gurney added: "He recognised, quite frankly, he shouldn't have got himself involved in the situation.

"It's clear alcohol played a factor in the offending, as it has done in the past.

"He has spent five-and-a-half months in custody and he has spent that time very constructively.

"He has found religion whilst in custody and has found the teachings of Buddhism to be something that he has some interest in. He has certainly found it helpful."

(Image: PA)

Representing Cooke, Philip Holden said : "She is a most unlikely candidate to be involved in this offence."

The barrister said Cooke had genuine sympathy for the victim and didn't expect matters to go quite as far as they ended up going.

He added the victim had been arrested and released without charge on the paedophile allegations.

Passing sentence, Judge Beverley Lunt told Holmes he knew exactly what was going to happen once the victim was lured to the house, where he and another man were waiting for him.

She said the defendant participated in the pre-planned attack and joined in the violence.

She said: "It must have been terrifying for this man.

"I am entirely satisfied you knew what was going to happen in that house was not just a good talking to. Violence was going to be used on this man."

"You set this up. You were more than content to put him in danger."