A father was left in agony after he was ordered to strip naked and boiling water was poured over him as punishment for stealing drugs, a court heard.

Victim Kevin Ward told a jury he felt “excruciating pain” as the water was thrown over him from a kettle. “I have never experienced anything like it,” he said.

Prosecutor Tom Dunn described the attack at Mr Ward’s Rochester home as “sadistic and gratuitous torturing”.

Part of it was filmed on a mobile phone but not the actual scalding which left the victim scarred from second degree burns.

Alando McNeish, 21, of Grafton Avenue, Rochester, denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent but was convicted by a 10-2 majority.

Aaron Ricketts, 19, of Bligh Way, Strood, admitted the charge.

Two other men said to have been involved were not in the dock.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Mr Ward arrived at his maisonette in Corporation Street on February 5 to find his friend Ricketts - known as T - there.

While they were chatting two other men, one of them 18-stone McNeish - known as Max - walked in. The third man was filming on his mobile phone.

They were joined by a fourth man, who has not been traced.

Film later recovered from the phone showed Mr Ward being ordered to sit down.

Ricketts appeared to be asking for an explanation for something that happened earlier that day.

The fourth man was heard talking on the phone. The man he was talking to was complaining something delivered by Mr Ward earlier was “small”.

The fourth man was then heard saying in a calm voice to Mr Ward: “I’m going to make sure you never thieve again. Take off your clothes.”

“It seems likely this was all to do with drugs,” said Mr Dunn.

Mr Ward was frightened and pleaded for mercy. McNeish struck him several times to the head.

He was again ordered to strip and told he was going to be taught a lesson. Filming then stopped.

“Unfortunately for Kevin Ward, however, this marked only the start of his ordeal,” said Mr Dunn.

“Alando McNeish appeared with a hot kettle and ordered Mr Ward to hold out his left hand. He did so and Mr McNeish started to pour boiling water over his hand.

“Mr Ward screamed in agony, but he continued to have boiling water poured over his hand. He was told to shut up.

“It was discussed that the kettle was not hot enough, so it was refilled and re-boiled.”

McNeish used a metal ladle he had heated up and burnt Mr Ward on various parts of his body. He also made Mr Ward put his left hand on the floor and jumped up and down on it.

He told him to clench his first so that he could break his fingers more easily.

Mr Ward claimed he was unable to do it as his wrist was already broken.

More boiling water was poured over various parts of his body.

“By now, the pain was too much for Mr Ward to bear and in desperation he managed to jump up from the sofa and run into the kitchen,” said Mr Dunn.

“By now, the pain was too much for Mr Ward to bear and in desperation he managed to jump up from the sofa and run into the kitchen” - prosecutor Tom Dunn

“Yet more boiling water was thrown over him as he did so, landing on his back, neck, left shoulder, arm and chest. He managed to escape through the back door and ran naked to his neighbour’s house.”

The neighbour, Lee Granville, let him in and showered him in cold water to try to ease the burns.

Mr Ward went into shock and his body started to convulse in “unbelievable pain”.

He was taken to Medway Hospital and treated before being sent to the burns unit at the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead.

A mobile phone containing the film of part of the attack was later recovered from a car and McNeish was recognised.

McNeish and Ricketts have been remanded in custody until sentence on a date to be fixed.

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