A Fife businessman feared for his life after he was tied up and cruelly tortured by a gang of masked men who burst into his home and stole his life savings.
Ian Masterton, 54, was forced to reveal the whereabouts of tens of thousands of pounds stashed in his house during a 45-minute ordeal which his family say has left him “broken”.
Speaking exclusively to The Courier at his home in Lochore, Mr Masterton, who was recently widowed, told how he was repeatedly kicked and punched by gang members, who threatened him with terrible injuries if he did not reveal the whereabouts of his cash.
The father-of-three and grandfather-of-two, a well-known local mechanic who runs a commercial garage behind his house, said the experience had left him “very traumatised”, but he and his family were determined to assist police in any way possible.
Speaking publicly for the first time about the terrifying ordeal which took place last week, Mr Masterton said: “It was Thursday night about 10.15. I went into the house, locked my bottom door, took my jacket off, went to get my paper.
“And then I heard this almighty roar from my back porch. I’d never experienced anything like that before in my life but I knew what was about to happen with the noise.
“I don’t know if it was because something happened the night before that raised my suspicions there were a group of men outside acting suspiciously.
“But when I heard the noise on Thursday, I knew it was pretty serious. I tried to hold my door shut but it got forced in.”
Mr Masterton said the men who burst in were wearing masks and hoods.
“The first few got on top of me. They told me to lie on my stomach. They were shouting to know where my safe was, where my money was. I said ‘I’ve not got a safe’.
“They tied me up and I got put in my sitting room and was assaulted. Some were away ransacking the house.
“One was kicking me, punching me. One kept on coming back and screaming ‘Where’s your money?’. I said I didn’t have money. Then he said that if he found money then I’d be ‘getting it’.
“This went on. They were in possession of weapons and made it clear I was going to come to further physical harm. I thought they were maybe going to kill me. That was going through my mind.
“After about 20 minutes I ended up telling them where the money was because I didn’t know what was going to happen to me. I didn’t know what they were capable of.”
Mr Masterton’s daughter Vicky, 32, of Ballingry, told The Courier how she “totally screamed” when she saw what the men had done to her dad and the house, adding: “I can’t put into words what I saw when I saw my dad.”
Police requested that The Courier does not publish details of the torture methods used by the perpetrators as this could influence any future prosecutions.
However, officers have confirmed that Mr Masterton was tortured in a number of different ways.
In addition to the physical ordeal he sustained, torture was also enforced by the expectation of what they might do. It’s also been made clear that the torture techniques used may have been influenced by certain TV shows and Hollywood films.
Detective Inspector Graham Seath said: “While I cannot go into specific details on the nature of the assault, this was a vicious attack carried out by a number of men, and while the victim did not suffer any serious injuries he has been left traumatised by the incident.
“As part of our inquiries we are keen to trace the occupants of a large white vehicle, possibly a BMW, which was in the area on Wednesday and Thursday, who may have information relating to this crime.
“Anyone who has any information on this vehicle, or who was in the area of Lochleven Road or Balbedie Avenue between 10pm and 11pm on Thursday and noticed any suspicious activity, should contact police on 101, or make an anonymous report through Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
“I would like to reassure the public that this was very much an isolated incident, and that crimes of this nature are extremely rare.”
Mr Seath added that forensic inquiries had been carried out and patrols had been increased in the area in order to provide further reassurance to the public.
Photo by David Wardle