Three Hove Men Jailed Over Grim Honey Trap Assault on Teen
Three young men from Hove have landed behind bars for a total of 81 months after a brutal honey trap robbery and assault on a teenage boy. Balint Besze, 20, Theo Hallworth, 19, and Reuben Willard, 19, lured their victim to an abandoned building for a vicious attack before stealing his belongings.
False Allegations Spark Revenge Plot
The whole ordeal began with a fake claim made against the victim by a woman. Private messages prove the allegation was baseless. This woman passed the lie to Besze, who, with Hallworth and Willard, decided to take vengeance into their own hands.
The trio formed a vigilante gang, recruiting one female friend to bait the victim. After a week of social media chatting, she persuaded him to meet at a deserted car workshop on Newtown Road, Hove, on 26 March 2021.
Masked Attackers Strip Teen of Shoes and Passport
Once inside the derelict site, the victim was ambushed by the three men dressed in boiler suits and masks, armed with metal sticks. The teen suffered bruises across his back, shoulder, wrist, and forearm. He was forced to hand over his phone, wallet, passport, rucksack—and his shoes.
Despite being left penniless and barefoot, the victim managed to catch a bus to a friend’s place and report the attack to police.
Justice Served: Perpetrators Sent Down
The female accomplice was arrested but deemed unfit to plead due to mental health issues and was sectioned with anonymity orders.
Besze, Hallworth, and Willard were charged with false imprisonment and robbery. They admitted guilt but lied about the use of weapons. The court dismissed their claims.
At Lewes Crown Court on 15 March, each was sentenced to 27 months in a young offenders’ institution.
“These youths took it upon themselves to act as vigilantes in setting up a honey trap. The three defendants, who were of previous good character with bright futures ahead of them, now find themselves in prison for what is probably the biggest mistake they will ever make,” said investigating officer Rose Horan.
“The victim was, and remains, absolutely traumatised by this incident and has shown great patience and maturity throughout the investigation.”
