Clydebank man jailed over 'waterboarding' attack
A Clydebank man who waterboarded his vulnerable victim just a few hours after stealing ÂŁ200 of the man's money from his post office account has been jailed for five years.
A Clydebank man who waterboarded his vulnerable victim just a few hours after stealing ÂŁ200 of the man's money from his post office account has been jailed for five years.
Ryan Cartwright, 26, subjected John Campbell, 41, to a terrifying ordeal which saw him copying an interrogation technique used by the CIA on suspected Al Qaeda terrorists.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard heard how Cartwright initially tied Mr Campbell to a chair and then placed a towel over his face.
He then poured water over Mr Campbell's face which prevented him from breathing. Cartwright then struck Mr Campbell's private parts with a wet towel before choking him.
Mr Campbell, of Knightswood, told jurors: "I was terrified. I was so scared. Ryan waterboarded me. He punched me on the face and ordered me to sit down.
"He tied me up with a bit of rope and then put a towel over my face. He started pouring water over my face. I couldn't breathe. It was terrifying."
The story emerged following the conclusion of a week long trial at the court.
Cartwright, of Clydebank, had pleaded not guilty to serious assault and robbery charges.
However, jurors spent 80 minutes in deliberations before returning guilty verdicts to the two charges.
During proceedings, Mr Campbell told the court about what had happened to him on May 24 2016.
Mr Campbell, who suffers from anxiety, said he had known Cartwright for five months before the sickening assault.
He said that Cartwright had moved into his flat in Knightswood just a few weeks previously.
The court heard that Cartwright had fallen out with his girlfriend and had moved out of her home in nearby Clydebank.
Mr Campbell, who is unemployed, told the jury that he was "scared" of Cartwright because he kept on behaving in an "aggressive" manner.
He told prosecution lawyer Una Doherty: "I was scared him. He would do dummy fighting with me. He would treat me like a punchbag. He used to stick a knife up to my face. He did that quite a few times."
Mr Campbell told the court that he was too scared of Cartwright to ask him to leave the house.
On the morning of May 24 this year, Cartwright took a Post Office account card belonging to Mr Campbell. He also managed to obtain the PIN number for the card.
The court heard that Cartwright then went to the Day Today Store in Glasgow's Anniesland Road and managed to withdraw ÂŁ200 from Mr Campbell's account.
The court then heard that Cartwright then returned to Mr Campbell's flat and started assaulting him.
The court heard that after waterboarding him, Cartwright pulled down Mr Campbell's trousers and underpants. He then repeatedly struck Mr Campbell's private parts with a wet towel which he had tied into a knot.
He then started choking Mr Campbell before stopping the abuse shortly afterwards.
The court heard Mr Campbell say he felt humiliated by what Cartwright was doing to him.
Ms Doherty asked him: "Was it embarrassing?"
Mr Campbell replied: "Of course it was. I was hurt. I was crying."
Mr Campbell also recalled the moment that Cartwright started choking him.
He said that Cartwright only stopped when another man who was present in the house witnessed what was happening.
Mr Campbell said: "The eyeballs were popping out of my head. He was trying to strangle me. I felt my eyeballs popping. I was so scared."
The court heard that Mr Campbell eventually plucked up enough courage to speak to the police about what had happened to him.
Police officers tracked down Cartwright and arrested him. He was charged and was remanded to Glasgow's Barlinnie Prison ahead of his trial.
Following conviction on Thursday, Ms Doherty told the court that Cartwright had previous convictions for assault and assault and robbery.
It also emerged that Cartwright had another conviction for domestic abuse.
Defence solicitor advocate Jim Wallace told the court that Cartwright was a father of two who had previously worked as a labourer.
Mr Wallace added: "At the time of the incident he was reconciling with his girlfriend."
Passing sentence, judge Lord Beckett handed Cartwright a five year sentence for the assault. He handed the crook a 12 month sentence for the robbery which will run concurrent to the five year term.
Lord Beckett added: "You bullied a vulnerable man and subjected him to a variety of painful, frightening and humiliating assaults.
"I can only impose one sentence in these circumstances."