Three Hove Men Jailed Over Brutal ‘Honey Trap’ Attack on Teen
Honey Trap Turned Violent Revenge
Three young men from Hove have been slammed behind bars for a total of 81 months after luring a teenager into a violent ambush. Balint Besze, 20, Theo Hallworth, 19, and Reuben Willard, 19, tricked their victim into a derelict workshop where they savagely attacked him and robbed his belongings.
Spurious Claim Sparks Sinister Plot
The vicious assault stemmed from a bogus allegation made by a woman against the victim. Private messages proved the claim was a complete fabrication. The woman passed this false story to Besze, who then teamed up with Hallworth and Willard to plot revenge.
The trio, calling themselves a vigilante gang, used a female friend to lure the victim to the rundown car workshop on Newtown Road, Hove, after a week of social media persuasion.
Masked Attackers Use Metal Sticks in Brutal Assault
Inside, the victim was ambushed by the attackers wearing boiler suits and masks. They wielded metal sticks and inflicted bruises all over his back, shoulder, wrist, and forearm. The terrified teen was robbed of his phone, wallet, passport, rucksack—and even his shoes.
Despite being left barefoot and penniless, the victim managed to catch a bus to a friend’s house and report the attack to police.
Justice Served at Lewes Crown Court
Besze, Willard, and Hallworth were arrested and charged with false imprisonment and robbery. Though they admitted the crimes, they denied using weapons—claims shattered during a Newton hearing.
On 15 January at Lewes Crown Court, all three were sentenced to 27 months each in a young offender institution.
Investigating officer Rose Horan said: “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 custody for what is probably the biggest mistake they will ever make. The whole plot was ill conceived from the start. The victim was, and remains, absolutely traumatised by this incident and has shown great patience and maturity throughout the investigation.”
