Girl gang lured victims into alleyway before filming brutal attack

A gang of girls who lured two others into an alleyway and filmed the moment they battered the victims have mostly been spared jail.

Bushra Noreen, 18, of Luton, was the only one to be sentenced to prison after a court heard how the group had pretended to call a truce with the victims before attacking them.

Luton Crown Court heard how the women shared footage of the violent incident on Whatsapp.

On Tuesday a judge was told that the rift between the victims and the attackers had first begun online with both parties exchanging abusive messages.

Following various disputes, the two victims agreed to meet Noreen, Bano Begum, 20, Shereen Hussain, 20, and a 15-year-old girl to settle the row.

After the groups met at a Luton town centre venue they had a seemingly civil conversation but things turned violent when they went to an alleyway to smoke and were joined by three more women.

The court was told that at first the larger group began shouting aggressively at the two women, urging them to fight, but they then grabbed one of the victims, threw her to the floor and started punching and kicking her.

When the other victim attempted to rescue her friend, she was pulled to the ground by her hair.

The victims attempted to escape to Brantwood Park but the assault continued.

Neither of the victims suffered serious injuries.

Noreen was jailed for seven months at Luton Crown Court for her part in the attack.

The remaining women also from Luton – Bano Begum, 20, Isma Hussain, 19, Sanna Noreen, 20 years, Smaavia Masood, 20, and Shereen Hussain, 20 – were spared jail and given suspended prison sentences.

Detective Constable James Bateman described it as a targeted group attack and said the fact the incident was filmed and shared on WhatsApp was ‘especially shocking’.

He added: ‘The growth in smart phones has transformed social media accessibility and created an almost unlimited opportunity for rivals to antagonise each other, and for those taunts to be viewed by a much larger audience for a much longer time period.

‘This case shows how such arguments and disagreements over social media can spill into the real world. We will not tolerate this sort of abuse and violence and it is right those involved have been given prison sentences.

‘We also hope the sentences can give some comfort to the victims and their families.’