Two men from Forest of Dean have been locked up for over eight years after subjecting a man to a brutal six-hour ordeal. Joshua Rice, 38, and Andrew Rowbotham, 44, physically and psychologically tormented their victim in July 2025 after wrongly accusing him of stealing cash.
Horrific ‘Body Bag’ Nightmare
The victim, a man in his 20s, met the pair through a mutual acquaintance. The nightmare began when they asked him to store a stash of cash, which he reluctantly agreed to out of fear. In the early hours of July 29, Rice and Rowbotham accused him of theft, turned violent, and forced him into a terrifying series of assaults.
- They punched him repeatedly, causing cuts and bruises.
- He was burnt with a cigarette lighter.
- Threatened with a hockey stick, a curved knife near his eye, and threats to cut off his finger.
- The victim’s female relatives were targeted with vile threats.
The most chilling moment came when they took him to a remote Forest of Dean lay-by, gagged and blindfolded him, and forced him into a hole lined with plastic sheeting—like a “body bag.” The victim begged for his life, fearing death.
Justice Served at Gloucester Crown Court
After a desperate day filled with terror and threats, the victim was released but warned that the men would keep tabs on him. Police arrested Rice, of Coalway Road, Coleford, and Rowbotham, who has no fixed address, after a relative reported the incident. All weapons described were found and seized. Both men pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and making threats to kill. On Friday, 10 April, Recorder Mawhinney handed down prison sentences:
- Joshua Rice: 4 years and 4 months
- Andrew Rowbotham: 3 years and 7 months
Both were slapped with five-year restraining orders and ordered to pay £228 in victim costs.
Victim Reveals Haunting Trauma
“I’ve struggled to sleep, having flashbacks during the day as well as at night; of them shouting at me, hitting me and especially of being in that bag – for what was probably five to ten minutes but felt like a lifetime as they talked about killing me. I really thought that was it for me, and I said my goodbyes, apologising to my family for somehow having ended up in that situation. They might not have murdered me, even though I could feel their threats were real enough, but due to the incident, I’ve sometimes felt so low I’ve wanted to take my own life. My home, my friendships, my sense of security and my self-esteem – they’ve taken away so much, I sometimes feel they did actually kill me.”
The chilling case is a stark reminder of the brutal dangers lurking even in close communities.
