ARRESTS IN 'MONSTROUS' BEATING

A forcible takeover of a Surrey marijuana grow operation a year ago has
resulted in the arrest of two people in Coquitlam and charges against two
others for " monstrous conduct toward a fellow human being."

Surrey Provincial Court Judge Norm Collingwood made the comment during a
Thursday application by one of the accused, 22-year-old Damon Bartolomeo,
for his release on bail following his arrest Wednesday on multiple charges
of aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm and unlawful
confinement. Collingwood ordered Bartolomeo held in jail even though the
Coquitlam resident has no criminal record, because of the severity of the
allegations. "The nature of the offences are horrific and tantamount to
torture," Judge Collingwood said.

It's alleged that Bartolomeo, brothers Norman Stanton and Jules Stanton and
Richard "Frenchy" Doucette were among the group of men who took a Surrey
man hostage in his own Whalley grow operation a year ago, inflicting severe
beatings while they made him tend the plants and tried to force him to
reveal if he had any other grow-ops.

During one attack, the man was pistol-whipped for making the comment that
"I don't work for you, I work with you," suffering injuries that included a
permanent dent in his head.

During another, the victim and a friend were assaulted with brass knuckles
and a hammer over a period of at least half an hour - the victim isn't sure
how long because he passed out.

The Surrey man was gagged and tied up during that attack and worked over by
a man identified only as "the torturer," who police are still trying to
locate, court was told.

The incident was uncovered by Surrey RCMP investigating a series of
reported deaths at a crack house in North Surrey that became known as "the
little house of horrors."

Initially, the beating victim (who the prosecutor has requested remain
anonymous) refused to tell police what happened, insisting that his broken
nose, shattered ribs and several other serious injuries reported by Surrey
Memorial Hospital last year when the man was dropped off, had been the work
of some teenagers.

All four accused are scheduled to make their next court appearance Tuesday
morning in Surrey Provincial Court.